This Week in Logistics

CMA CGM Launches Direct Japan-North Europe Service Outside Alliances — CMA CGM has launched the Ocean Rise Express service providing direct connectivity between Japan, South China, and North Europe, operating independently from its Ocean Alliance commitments.

Maritime Labour Convention Marks 20 Years of Seafarer Protections — The International Labour Organization, International Chamber of Shipping, and International Transport Workers' Federation marked the 20th anniversary of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, reaffirming commitments to seafarer protections and decent work standards.

VLCC Rates Surge to Pandemic Highs Amid Severe Vessel Shortage — Very large crude carriers have surged to pandemic-era rates exceeding $200,000 per day as a severe global vessel shortage tightens capacity in major markets including the US Gulf.

WinGD Wins World-First Ammonia Engine Certification with 30 Orders — WinGD achieved world-first type approval for its X72DF-A ammonia-fueled two-stroke engine, completing factory acceptance testing and securing 30 orders from shipowners.

Australia Completes Emergency Operation for Disabled Bulk Carrier Near Reef — Australia's Maritime Safety Authority successfully completed a 24-day emergency operation to manage a disabled Liberian-flagged bulk carrier that suffered engine failure in the Coral Sea near the Great Barrier Reef, preventing potential environmental catastrophe.

CMA CGM Launches Heavy Load Surcharge on Far East-Latin America Routes — CMA CGM is implementing a Heavy Load Surcharge on 20-foot dry containers from Far East Asia to West Coast South America, Central America, and the Caribbean where verified gross mass exceeds 20 metric tons, and an Overweight Surcharge on Turkey-US East Coast cargo effective March 26.

4RCargo Expands Into Baltic Markets With Regional Hub — Polish freight forwarder 4RCargo has launched operations across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, appointing Vladislavs Pecevics as regional and product manager to lead the expansion.

IAG Cargo Wins Qatar Airways Cargo Ground Handling at Dublin — IAG Cargo has been named the ground handling agent for Qatar Airways Cargo operations at Dublin Airport, expanding their existing partnership.

Glasgow Prestwick Readies Cold Chain for UK-India Trade Boom — Glasgow Prestwick Airport has invested £1 million in cold chain infrastructure ahead of the anticipated UK-India Free Trade Agreement launching in April 2026.

Jettainer Extends ULD Management Partnership with CMA CGM Air Cargo — Jettainer has renewed its ULD management contract with CMA CGM Air Cargo three years after their initial 2022 agreement, with specific terms and duration undisclosed.

TCE Signs Strategic Total Cargo Management Agreement with SkyUp Airlines — Ukrainian low-cost carrier SkyUp Airlines has partnered with TCE, Aerion, ECS Group, and Global GSA Group for total cargo management services as it re-enters cargo operations from its Chișinău, Moldova hub.

Global Air Cargo Falls 7% While Asia Pacific Surges 5.9% — Global air cargo volumes declined 7% in January 2026 due to Valentine's Day and Lunar New Year holiday disruptions, but Asia Pacific airlines bucked the trend with 5.9% growth driven by strong regional trade and e-commerce demand.

Etihad Cargo Delivers Strong 2025 Performance with 8% Revenue Growth — Etihad Cargo posted strong 2025 results with 8% revenue growth and 9% volume increase to 703,000 tonnes, outpacing broader market trends.

Chapman Freeborn Global Appoints Gabrielius Morkunas as CFO — Chapman Freeborn Global has appointed Gabrielius Morkunas as Chief Financial Officer, bringing international finance expertise to strengthen the air charter company's executive leadership team.

Qatar Airways Launches Ramp Digitalization Program — Qatar Airways has launched a comprehensive 'Ramp Digitalisation Programme' to transform ground handling operations through advanced digital technologies and automated systems.

IAG Cargo Q4 Revenue Falls 10.4% as Red Sea Crisis Demand Normalizes — IAG Cargo's fourth-quarter revenues fell 10.4% year-over-year to €326 million as elevated demand from Red Sea diversions faded, offsetting stronger full-year performance across the British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, and Vueling portfolios.

UPS Louisville Surpasses FedEx Memphis as World's Largest Express Hub — UPS's Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport facility has dethroned FedEx Memphis to become the world's largest express air cargo hub, handling more daily flights and tonnage capacity according to the Global Cargo Hub Review report.

ATRI Launches 2026 Operational Costs Survey for Trucking Industry — The American Transportation Research Institute has opened submissions for its comprehensive 2026 Operational Costs Survey, collecting 2025 performance data from carriers through online portals and PDF uploads.

Judge Approves UPS $150K Driver Buyout Program — A federal judge has cleared UPS to proceed with its $150,000 voluntary buyout program for delivery drivers, rejecting a Teamsters union challenge seeking to halt the initiative.

Flatbed Trucking Rates Surge as Rejection Rate Hits 42.5% in February — U.S.

FMCSA Renews Wilson Logistics CDL Training Waiver Amid Data Inquiry — Federal regulators renewed Wilson Logistics' Commercial Driver License training exemption waiver while simultaneously launching an investigation into allegations of false data submission in the original exemption request.

North American Commercial Vehicle Collision Rates Drop Nearly 16% — Geotab data shows commercial vehicle collision rates in Canada and the U.S.

Trump Calls for Stricter CDL Standards with Dalilah's Law — President Trump called for passage of Dalilah's Law during his State of the Union address, legislation aimed at strengthening Commercial Driver's License standards and requirements for truck drivers..

DOT Mandates States Complete Comprehensive Truck Parking Assessments — The U.S.

PSA Antwerp Takes Delivery of Five Mega STS Cranes at Europa Terminal — PSA Antwerp has received five record-sized ship-to-shore cranes at Europa Terminal as part of Project Emerald modernization.

Rotterdam Port Throughput Falls 1.7% in 2025 Despite Container Growth — Europe's largest port handled 428.4 million tonnes in 2025, down 1.7% year-over-year, with dry bulk suffering a steep 6.5% decline and liquid bulk dropping 1.5%.

Federal Courts Dismiss Longshore Automation Lawsuits in Virginia — Federal courts dismissed ILA lawsuits challenging Virginia port automation initiatives, clearing legal obstacles for terminal operators to deploy automated rail cranes and other efficiency technologies.

Northern Europe Ports Deploy Counter-Drone Systems Amid Security Threats — Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges ports are deploying airspace monitoring and counter-drone systems to combat increasing unauthorized drone activity threatening critical infrastructure.

Konecranes Launches ESP.4 Mobile Harbor Crane for Smaller Ports — Konecranes has introduced the ESP.4, its smallest Generation 6 mobile harbor crane designed specifically for smaller port operations.

Tidewater Makes $500M Bet on Brazil with Wilson Sons Fleet Acquisition — Tidewater is expanding its Brazilian offshore operations through a $500 million acquisition of offshore support vessels from Wilson Sons, marking a significant bet on the South American market.

DHL Group and JD.com Partner to Bridge German-China Trade — DHL Group and JD.com have signed a memorandum of understanding to facilitate German brand expansion into China and Europe, leveraging JD.com's retail platform and DHL's logistics infrastructure.

DP World Acquires 5,000+ TEU Vessel to Strengthen India-Middle East Route — DP World has secured a five-year warehouse contract with Brazilian pulp producer Suzano and acquired another container vessel for its India-Middle East corridor, expanding both its logistics operations and shipping capacity on critical trade routes.

Kuehne+Nagel Expands German Operations with Lohmöller Acquisition — Kuehne+Nagel acquired LSL-Lohmöller, a 94-year-old German road logistics operator, expanding its European groupage, LTL, and FTL network capacity.

Apple Announces Mac Mini Production Shift to US Manufacturing — Apple will produce Mac mini computers in the United States for the first time as part of President Trump's domestic manufacturing push, marking a significant supply chain shift for the tech giant.

Anthropic Escalates Pentagon Dispute Over Military AI Restrictions — Anthropic CEO issued a statement defending the company's refusal to comply with Pentagon terms regarding lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance, after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designated the AI firm a supply chain risk.

WiseTech Global cuts 30% of workforce to pivot to AI — WiseTech Global is eliminating nearly 30% of its workforce in a major restructuring aimed at pivoting toward artificial intelligence capabilities.

Freightos Founder Steps Down Amid 25% Revenue Growth — Dr.

OpenAI Closes Record $110 Billion Funding Round — OpenAI completed a historic $110 billion funding round at an $840 billion valuation, led by Amazon ($50B), Nvidia ($30B), and SoftBank ($30B), marking the largest venture capital deal ever.

Project44 Launches AI Agent for Automated Freight Procurement — Project44 launched an AI Freight Procurement Agent designed to automate freight sourcing decisions and carrier selection through intelligent analysis of rates, capacity, and service performance data.

Aurora Targets 200+ Autonomous Trucks in Southwest by Year-End — Aurora Innovation is expanding its autonomous trucking fleet in the Southwest US, with plans to deploy over 200 driverless trucks by year-end 2026.

Uber Launches Autonomous Solutions Platform for Commercial AV Deployment — Uber Technologies has launched Uber Autonomous Solutions, a comprehensive B2B platform offering end-to-end commercialization capabilities for autonomous vehicle operators.

DHL Opens Electric Vehicle Center of Excellence in Slovakia — DHL Supply Chain has established a new Center of Excellence in Slovakia focused on electric vehicle logistics and operations.

Walmart Settles $100M Driver Pay Deception Case with FTC — Walmart agreed to a $100 million settlement over allegations it misled gig delivery drivers about potential earnings, establishing legal precedent for payment transparency in logistics workforce management.

Russian Oil Tanker Skipper Faces US Forfeiture Action Over $150M Cargo — The U.S.

Canada Finance Minister Signals Permanent US Tariffs on Exports — Canada's finance minister warned that the US is unlikely to lift tariffs permanently, while officials prepare for annual USMCA reviews and bilateral trade meetings.

Sweden Jams Suspected Russian Drone Near French Carrier During NATO Drills — Swedish forces jammed a suspected Russian drone approaching France's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier while docked in Malmö during NATO Baltic exercises on February 24-25.

Supreme Court Voids Trump Tariffs, Triggering Wave of Refund Claims — The Supreme Court invalidated Trump's global tariffs, prompting approximately 2,000 lawsuits from businesses seeking refunds on billions in paid duties.

Mexico Cartel Violence Disrupts Trade Corridors as El Mencho Captured — Following a U.S.-backed Mexican military operation that killed a major cartel leader over the weekend, logistics executives warn of potential freight reductions in affected corridors.

Ghana Navy Rescues 71 Fishermen After Armed Pirate Attack — Ghana's Navy rescued 71 fishermen after armed pirates attacked their vessels off the coast, stealing outboard motors and personal belongings while leaving crews adrift overnight.

Russia-Iran Oil Price War Emerges as China Buyers Gain Leverage — Russia and Iran have launched competing oil price wars for Chinese buyers as India retreats from sanctioned crude purchases, creating oversupply conditions that benefit Beijing while destabilizing energy logistics networks.

Persian Gulf Military Tensions Escalate as US Navy Withdraws From Bahrain Base — U.S.-Iran tensions have reached critical levels with the U.S.

Containership Loses 85 Containers Off Morocco, Forcing Port Shutdown — The containership Ionikos lost 85 containers while departing Casablanca, forcing authorities to temporarily suspend port operations at Morocco's largest container gateway.

Houthis Resume Red Sea Attacks After Iranian Strikes End Four-Month Truce — Yemen's Houthi rebels have pledged to resume Red Sea shipping attacks following US-Israel strikes on Iran, ending a four-month truce that had stabilized the critical trade chokepoint.