Struggling Automotive 3PL Duvenbeck Seeks New Owner
German automotive‑focused third‑party logistics provider Duvenbeck is actively looking for a buyer after posting a €30 million (≈$33 million) loss in 2024. The firm hired PwC to scout potential owners, but major candidates DP World and Geodis have already declined. Waterland’s 2022 acquisition of a 70 % stake failed to reverse the downturn, leading to CEO Hakan Bicil’s exit and a restructuring effort led by Alvarez & Marsal’s Richard Hell. Major OEMs VW, BMW and Mercedes have had to inject temporary cash to keep operations afloat.
Saudi Logistics Lifeline ‘Won’t Go Back in the Box’ Post-War
The Iran‑War accelerated the creation of a Gulf land‑bridge, a 47‑day effort linking Saudi ports, rail and road corridors to bypass Red Sea disruptions. Saudi‑based Flow Progressive Logistics highlighted the Saudi International Corridor and a new rail line connecting King...
Dachser Warns of Geopolitics-Driven Rate Spike as Acquisitions Prop up Growth
Dachser warned that geopolitical tensions have reignited freight‑rate volatility, with ocean rates on the China‑Germany lane climbing over 20% and air rates rising more than 35% since the Middle East conflict began. After a 12.6% drop in air‑sea revenue to...
Air Freight Activity in the Gulf Continues Recovery, but Pace Slows
DHL announced a new Boeing 777‑200F Leipzig‑Dubai‑Hong Kong freighter service with five weekly flights, alongside a thrice‑weekly Leipzig‑Jeddah B474F lane focused on pharma shipments. The carrier also highlighted that Gulf airports are operating at about 51 % of pre‑crisis freight capacity, with Dubai’s...
Strait Stalemate: ‘Trade Will Find a Way’, but It Will Be Costlier and Take Longer
The ongoing instability in the Strait of Hormuz has forced container lines to overhaul operations, moving from an initial service suspension to costly indirect routings and now to a slower, more expensive reopening. Drewry’s three‑phase model captures the shift from...
Supply Chains Go Multimodal as Gulf Ports Expand Truck Facilities
The Middle East crisis has forced container carriers to adopt multimodal logistics, with trucking becoming the critical last‑mile solution. Gulf ports are rapidly expanding truck‑yard capacity, exemplified by Gulftainer’s new 45‑acre yard at Khorfakkan handling up to 1,800 trucks and...
US Rail: Is the STB Sugaring the Merger Pill with a Move on Switching?
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) is revisiting the 40‑year‑old captive‑shipper switching rules just as it evaluates the Union Pacific‑Norfolk Southern merger, the first potential transcontinental railroad consolidation in the United States. The regulator has ordered antitrust‑grade discovery, signaling a tougher...
Risk of Fraud and Disruption After Data Breach on Mexico Port Platform
A hacker from the Mexican group Sociedad Privada 157 breached the Ministry of the Navy’s Safe Smart Port (PIS) platform, exfiltrating 39.7 GB of data on roughly 640,000 logistics personnel. The compromised records include biometric identifiers, social security numbers, taxpayer IDs and...
FedEx CFO John Dietrich to Step Down
FedEx announced that Chief Financial Officer John Dietrich will step down, with his departure slated for the end of Q2 2026. Dietrich, who has served as CFO since 2020, oversaw the company’s shift toward higher‑margin parcel and freight services and...
US Importers Challenge New Tariffs as Economists Warn Section 122 Is ‘Wrong Tool’
Importers and a coalition of U.S. states have filed a new lawsuit in the Court of International Trade challenging the administration's use of Section 122 emergency tariffs. Economists supporting the case argue the statute, crafted for balance‑of‑payments crises under fixed exchange...
Surging Traffic at Transhipment Hubs Hits Container Supply Chain Efficiency
Sea‑Intelligence Consulting’s latest study shows that the world’s biggest container transhipment hubs are eroding overall schedule reliability. By comparing un‑weighted regional averages with volume‑weighted figures, the analysis reveals a five‑point drop in Asia‑North Europe trade performance driven by congestion at...
Trump Threatens Hormuz Blockade as FMC Eyes Probe Into Carrier Surcharges
Donald Trump announced a potential naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, heightening geopolitical risk for Gulf shipping. The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) responded by warning shippers it is monitoring carrier war‑risk surcharges and may launch a probe for...
BBC: Trump Says US to ‘Blockade’ Strait of Hormuz After Talks Failed over Iran’s ‘Nuclear Ambitions’
Former President Donald Trump announced that the United States will impose a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after diplomatic talks with Iran collapsed over its nuclear program. The statement came amid an escalating US‑Israel‑Iran conflict that has already...
Fuel Surcharges Give Rates to US a Boost – with More to Come
Ocean carriers have begun applying emergency fuel surcharges to U.S. shipments, pushing spot rates higher across major lanes. The World Container Index showed Shanghai‑Los Angeles rates rise 9% to $2,910 per 40 ft and Shanghai‑New York up 7% to $3,671. The most striking...
Russian Plan to Ban Foreign Carriers May Be ‘Symbolic’ Gesture
The Kremlin is drafting a decree that would bar major foreign container carriers—CMA CGM, Maersk, OOCL and X‑Press Feeders—from calling at Russian ports. The move comes after years of sanctions‑driven pull‑outs, leaving MSC as the sole major liner with two services...
