IATA: Venezuela Being Cut Off by Airlines

Venezuela is nearing a point where air links with the rest of the world will be largely cut off, an IATA official warned. Speaking to reporters on June 4, IATA regional VP-Americas Peter Cerda said the Venezuelan government “still withholds more than $3.8 billion in airline funds in contravention of...

Middle East Diplomatic Crisis Threatens Regional Air Freight Operations

A spiraling diplomatic crisis in the Arab Gulf region is already snarling overland logistics along the Qatar-Saudi Arabia border, and regional freight forwarding is running into complications as Emirates and Etihad operations terminating in Doha grind to a halt. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, Yemen and Libya...

Port Workers in Spain to Strike This Week

Spanish port workers said on Thursday they would go on strike for three days this week to protest against the reform of operations aimed at liberalizing hiring practices in a heavily unionized sector. The strike action is set for next Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Earlier this month, Spain’s parliament passed...

Barge delays continue at Rotterdam terminal

Barges started facing delays at Rotterdam World Gateway Terminal in March. Inland barges continue to face long delays at Rotterdam World Gateway (RWG) Terminal as the recently launched ocean carrier alliances introduce new services at Europe’s largest container hub. Contargo, a leading German barge and rail operator that transports containers...

Spanish dockworkers to strike next week

Spanish ports such as Cadiz will come to a standstill next week. Spanish dockworkers will strike for three days next week to protest government plans to liberalize the hiring of workers in the nation’s ports. The dockworkers’ union said the strikes will take place on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and...

Strong growth contributed to Shanghai congestion in April

Nearly double-digit growth at Shanghai combined with weather issues to generate congestion in April. Container throughput at the main ports in China’s Yangtze River Delta rose by 9 percent year over year in April, fueling congestion and delays at Shanghai’s Yangshan deep-sea port. New figures from the Shanghai Shipping Exchange...

US, Mexico to reopen Laredo border crossing

Customs authorities on either side of the border plan to restore operations to the largest US-Mexico truck crossing this coming Monday, after severe weather damaged the World Trade International Bridge last Sunday. Shippers moving cargo between the United States and Mexico over the bridge have faced detours and delays since...

Spanish Dockworkers’ Strike: Delayed but Not Forgotten

Dockworkers in Spain were expected to begin eight days of intermittent strikes today but have agreed to just three days after a deal was struck to protect jobs. Unions have been incensed by the government’s decision to push through labor reforms that target port workers. The changes, mandated by the...

Karachi Transport Strike Ends

A 10-day strike by transporters in Karachi to protest against heavy vehicles being barred from moving inside the city during the daytime has ended. The port has been clogged with containers that could take a week or more to clear.

Escalating Dockworkers’ Conflict Now Threatens Swedish Economy

As a drawn-out labor conflict at the Nordic region’s largest port escalates, some of Sweden’s largest exporters are warning they may be forced to find alternative harbours abroad to safeguard shipments. Container capacity at A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S’ APM Terminals facility in Gothenburg has in the past six months dropped to...