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Covid's legacy: 'Flexibility has replaced efficiency as box shipping's guiding principle'

India is emerging as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the post-pandemic shift towards more resilient global supply chains, with container shipping data showing its exports to the US continuing to strengthen. Xeneta chief analyst Peter Sand told The Loadstar: "When carriers adapt to the de-risking of supply chains set up by shippers, it involves more shipments out of India." Indeed, he noted that freight rates from India to the US east coast were on track "to be at an all-time high next week", said Mr Sand. "If we see early indicators from Xeneta data, we could be as high as $7,400 per 40ft, and still climbing." The growth reflects a broader trend of importers diversifying sourcing from China as they seek to reduce geopolitical and supply chain risks, he said. "There's more to global shipping than the main tradelanes," Mr Sand added. The Loadstar previously reported that one European freight forwarder said high demand on the India-North Europe trade, paired with capacity constraints, was making getting shipments out of India "nigh-on impossible". The forwarder was having to book space "four-to-six weeks in advance", and had seen carriers cancel bookings rather than roll cargo when space was tight. The resilience of Indian exports reflects a wider transformation in global supply chains, according to Braemar, which added that the container market had "fundamentally changed" since Covid, with resilience replacing efficiency as the industry's defining principle. "Today, uncertainty has become part of the business model. Importers no longer wait for stability before making decisions. They diversify suppliers, adjust sourcing, build inventory when necessary, and bring cargo forward when risks emerge. Flexibility has replaced efficiency as the guiding principle," explained Braemar analyst Jonathan Roach. "The industry no longer expects calm waters. It expects disruption," he added. While Mr Roach highlighted that "none of this means container shipping has become immune to shocks", he underscored that the industry was "unlikely to be caught offguard" in the same way it once was. "Covid did more than disrupt global shipping. It changed its mindset. For decades the industry pursued efficiency above almost everything else. Since 2020, it has pursued resilience, flexibility and speed of response. "That may prove to be the pandemic's most enduring legacy."

National Airlines takes delivery of third Boeing 777-200F

National Airlines has taken delivery of its third Boeing 777-200 freighter within four months and expects to add a fourth 777F in the coming months. The aircraft, registered N795CA, entered commercial service on 30 July by operating a charter flight to the Middle East. Florida-based National Airlines ordered four newbuild 777-200Fs in 2024. The airline was presented with its first 777F in April at a special delivery event at a Boeing factory in Seattle, US. The quick delivery of the second and third 777Fs, and the expected fourth 777F, will support the airline's growing presence in the international air cargo market and enable it to transport oversized, high-value, humanitarian, aerospace, energy, automotive, pharmaceutical, and other specialised cargo. Christopher Alf, chairman of National Airlines, said: "The delivery of our third Boeing 777 Freighter represents another important milestone in our strategic growth journey and reflects our continued investment in building one of the world's most capable and versatile charter cargo fleets. "As customer demand for reliable and customized air cargo solutions continues to grow, the Boeing 777 Freighter provides the performance, efficiency, and global reach required to support complex logistics operations across diverse industries. "We extend our sincere appreciation to Boeing, GE Aerospace, and all of our valued partners whose collaboration has made this achievement possible." National Airlines, part of National Air Cargo, now operates a fleet of three 777-200Fs, nine Boeing 747Fs, plus Airbus A330-300 and A330-200 passenger aircraft to enable it to provide tailored global cargo and passenger charter solutions.

The day DSV rocked confidence in forwarding M&A...

...was when other deals that could have happened, never came through. Take would-be target JAS Worldwide, a private, highly respected second-tier forwarder from Atlanta, for instance. And so While all eyes now are on the possible Apex Logistics spin-off*, which some sources suggest is a way to crystallise that K+N unit's value but also to make Kuehne + Nagel leaner in terms of governance, there are signs in forwarding pointing to a lack of M&A that is a "direct function of DSV's inability ...