<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Negotiations for local longshore contracts in four North Atlantic ports are being pressed, spurred b</div>

Negotiations for local longshore contracts in four North Atlantic ports are being pressed, spurred b

<div>Negotiations for local longshore contracts in four North Atlantic ports are being pressed, spurred by the knowledge that the International Longshoremen's Association plans to hold ratification votes next Wednesday. Thus far, all concerned have appeared confident that the deadline will be met.The talks are being held in Boston, Providence, Philadelphia and Baltimore. Local contracts, to be added to the master contract provisions, already have been completed in New York and Hampton Roads. The master contracts set the basic economic terms, such as wages, hours, pension and welfare contributions by employers, and rules for container gangs.The New York and Boston shipping...

Negotiations for local longshore contracts in four North Atlantic ports are being pressed, spurred by the knowledge that the International Longshoremen's Association plans to hold ratification votes next Wednesday. Thus far, all concerned have appeared confident that the deadline will be met. The talks are being held in Boston, Providence, Philadelphia and Baltimore. Local contracts, to be added to the master contract provisions, already have been completed in New York and Hampton Roads. The master contracts set the basic economic terms, such as wages, hours, pension and welfare contributions by employers, and rules for container gangs.The New York and Boston shipping associations, together with the Carriers Container Council, already have negotiated a master contract with the ILA. So has the Council of North Atlantic Shipping Associations, which represents management in the four ports where local negotiations continue. Master and local contracts for ports from North Carolina to Texas already have been settled and put into effect.

Maritime

ILA PUSHES TO SETTLE LOCAL PACTS

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">US retailers are, not surprisingly, importing only what is “absolutely necessary” given the frequent changes in new tariffs and tariff deadlines announced by the Trump administration, writes Lars Jensen. </div>

US retailers are, not surprisingly, importing only what is “absolutely necessary” given the frequent changes in new tariffs and tariff deadlines announced by the Trump administration, writes Lars Jensen.

Feature image

<div class="phx-topic">Under normal circumstances, the peak season for goods imports from Asia to the US would be well underway. However, cargo demand developments this year on the trans-Pacific are anything but normal. Clearly, the reason for the atypical development is the rapid changes in US trade policy, which has caused significant problems for US importers as well as US exporters to China. <div class="wrapper-narrow float-right-element"><img src="/images/phoenix/6045387_0.1.jpg"></img></div>A government can, of course, choose to change its trade policy with little notice. But it is worthwhile exploring how rapid changes are detrimental to the management of container shipping supply chains. Most “reciprocal” US tariffs announced on April 2 by the Trump administration almost immediately were postponed until July 9. At the same time, tariffs on China escalated to 145% from the US side and 125% on the Chinese side. These were then, mostly, put on pause from May 14. What does the hard data tell us about how shippers and carriers are managing the situation? From a demand perspective, it is interesting to take a closer look at the volume developments as measured by Container Trade Statistics (CTS), which measure cargo at the time of loading at origin. The impact on US ports will come as a delayed effect when the cargo finally arrives. For non-Chinese origins, the announced 90-day pause in April led to an assumption that US importers would attempt to frontload cargo prior to the expiry of the pause to reduce their risk — the caveat being that, despite the pause, there is still a 10% baseline tariff on all countries. Initially, the data appears to support the notion of frontloading as volumes from Europe, South America, Africa, the Indian subcontinent and Middle East all grew faster in April than in the first quarter. However, this changed in May as growth rates dropped sharply compared with April, with the Indian subcontinent and Middle East as the only exception. That implies that US importers changed their method from frontloading cargo to a wait-and-see approach, limiting their imports instead. For Asia, the impact of the tariffs on China was substantial. In April, volumes from Asia to North America declined 8% month over month; in May, they dropped 15% from April. Data for cargo loaded in June is not yet available, but we can infer what happened based on capacity and spot rate data. The tariffs on China were paused in mid-May, leading instantly to a surge in demand. This was largely demand based on cargo that had been held back in China and hence was ready to go. Prior to the pause, ocean carriers had reduced capacity on the trans-Pacific in response to the sharp decline in demand. Despite rapid efforts to reassign vessels to the Pacific, it effectively took three weeks before an actual increase in capacity was in place. This caused spot rates to surge due to high demand and low capacity. The expectation at the time was that the surge would continue as US importers would want to frontload their peak season volume prior to the Aug. 14 expiry of the 90-day US pause on the higher China tariffs. This is also what many shippers told the carriers at the time, and the carriers responded by phasing in more capacity. However, as we got into June, US importers changed their perspective and pulled back on the notion of frontloading as valid risk mitigation in the face of increasing tariff uncertainty. The surge, therefore, fizzled out once the initial excess cargo had been shipped. As a result, the spike in spot rates was short-lived, and carriers are now quickly reversing their operational planning and are in the process of withdrawing capacity from the trans-Pacific again. <h3>Importing only what is ‘absolutely necessary’ </h3>Given the frequent, and significant, announcements regarding new tariffs and tariff deadlines, combined with the clear uncertainty as to which of the stated new tariffs will actually be implemented or not, it is not surprising that US importers are mainly adopting a wait-and-see strategy, importing only what they believe to be absolutely necessary. The problem, as seen during the recent trans-Pacific spike, is that the physical supply chain simply cannot react as fast as regulations change. Even in the face of the cargo surge once the pause on Chinese tariffs was announced, it took the carriers three weeks to properly inject capacity as needed. And by then, conditions were changing again. This tells us that the short but strong spike in spot rates experienced in May/June is an event we are quite likely to experience again — just as we might experience short and sharp downturns that are then reversed. Shippers react to trade conditions, and while they cannot necessarily react as quickly as they would like to, they can certainly make day-to-day decisions related to holding back bookings or surging bookings if they have added inventory at the origin side. The carriers, however, are restricted by the sailing speeds of their vessels and cannot react as swiftly. This sets the scene for future events where supply and demand can be temporarily and severely unbalanced. Contact Lars Jensen at <a href="mailto:lars.jensen@vespucci-maritime.com">lars.jensen@vespucci-maritime.com</a>. </div>

Under normal circumstances, the peak season for goods imports from Asia to the US would be well underway. However, cargo demand developments this year on the trans-Pacific are anything but normal. Clearly, the reason for the atypical development is the rapid changes in US trade policy, which has caused significant problems for US importers as well as US exporters to China. A government can, of course, choose to change its trade policy with little notice. But it is worthwhile exploring how rapid changes are detrimental to the management of container shipping supply chains. Most “reciprocal” US tariffs announced on April 2 by the Trump administration almost immediately were postponed until July 9. At the same time, tariffs on China escalated to 145% from the US side and 125% on the Chinese side. These were then, mostly, put on pause from May 14. What does the hard data tell us about how shippers and carriers are managing the situation? From a demand perspective, it is interesting to take a closer look at the volume developments as measured by Container Trade Statistics (CTS), which measure cargo at the time of loading at origin. The impact on US ports will come as a delayed effect when the cargo finally arrives. For non-Chinese origins, the announced 90-day pause in April led to an assumption that US importers would attempt to frontload cargo prior to the expiry of the pause to reduce their risk — the caveat being that, despite the pause, there is still a 10% baseline tariff on all countries. Initially, the data appears to support the notion of frontloading as volumes from Europe, South America, Africa, the Indian subcontinent and Middle East all grew faster in April than in the first quarter. However, this changed in May as growth rates dropped sharply compared with April, with the Indian subcontinent and Middle East as the only exception. That implies that US importers changed their method from frontloading cargo to a wait-and-see approach, limiting their imports instead. For Asia, the impact of the tariffs on China was substantial. In April, volumes from Asia to North America declined 8% month over month; in May, they dropped 15% from April. Data for cargo loaded in June is not yet available, but we can infer what happened based on capacity and spot rate data. The tariffs on China were paused in mid-May, leading instantly to a surge in demand. This was largely demand based on cargo that had been held back in China and hence was ready to go. Prior to the pause, ocean carriers had reduced capacity on the trans-Pacific in response to the sharp decline in demand. Despite rapid efforts to reassign vessels to the Pacific, it effectively took three weeks before an actual increase in capacity was in place. This caused spot rates to surge due to high demand and low capacity. The expectation at the time was that the surge would continue as US importers would want to frontload their peak season volume prior to the Aug. 14 expiry of the 90-day US pause on the higher China tariffs. This is also what many shippers told the carriers at the time, and the carriers responded by phasing in more capacity. However, as we got into June, US importers changed their perspective and pulled back on the notion of frontloading as valid risk mitigation in the face of increasing tariff uncertainty. The surge, therefore, fizzled out once the initial excess cargo had been shipped. As a result, the spike in spot rates was short-lived, and carriers are now quickly reversing their operational planning and are in the process of withdrawing capacity from the trans-Pacific again. Importing only what is ‘absolutely necessary’ Given the frequent, and significant, announcements regarding new tariffs and tariff deadlines, combined with the clear uncertainty as to which of the stated new tariffs will actually be implemented or not, it is not surprising that US importers are mainly adopting a wait-and-see strategy, importing only what they believe to be absolutely necessary. The problem, as seen during the recent trans-Pacific spike, is that the physical supply chain simply cannot react as fast as regulations change. Even in the face of the cargo surge once the pause on Chinese tariffs was announced, it took the carriers three weeks to properly inject capacity as needed. And by then, conditions were changing again. This tells us that the short but strong spike in spot rates experienced in May/June is an event we are quite likely to experience again — just as we might experience short and sharp downturns that are then reversed. Shippers react to trade conditions, and while they cannot necessarily react as quickly as they would like to, they can certainly make day-to-day decisions related to holding back bookings or surging bookings if they have added inventory at the origin side. The carriers, however, are restricted by the sailing speeds of their vessels and cannot react as swiftly. This sets the scene for future events where supply and demand can be temporarily and severely unbalanced. Contact Lars Jensen at lars.jensen@vespucci-maritime.com .

Container lines

Trans-Pacific

Whiplash of US tariff policy forces importers into ‘wait-and-see’ mode

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The agreement clears the way for BNSF to move cargo from Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland to Salt Lake City for ocean carriers CMA CGM and Mediterranean Shipping Co.</div>

The agreement clears the way for BNSF to move cargo from Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland to Salt Lake City for ocean carriers CMA CGM and Mediterranean Shipping Co.

<div class="phx-topic">BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad (UP) have reached an agreement ending a dispute that delayed the launch of international intermodal train service between ports in California and Salt Lake City. The two railroads <a href="https://dcms-external.s3.amazonaws.com/DCMS_External_PROD/1752685668843/52671.pdf">notified the US Surface Transportation Board (STB)</a> of the deal ahead of a briefing that had been scheduled for next week to discuss details of the dispute with regulators. The meeting between the railroads and the STB has been canceled in light of the deal. The agreement clears the way for BNSF to move cargo from Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland to <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/bnsf-up-dispute-threatens-oakland-slc-service-triggers-stb-petition-6040399">Salt Lake City</a> for ocean carriers CMA CGM and Mediterranean Shipping Co. As part of the deal, BNSF agreed to use a southern route through Donner Pass, coming to an undisclosed financial agreement on compensation it will provide to UP. BNSF originally balked at the idea of the southern route crossing between Lake Tahoe and Reno because it said UP could charge for upgrades it made to the Donner Pass tunnel in 2009, which BNSF said would amount to tens of millions of dollars. UP owns the tracks and dispatching, but BNSF has trackage rights and provides the locomotives and railcars to operate the service. Originally, BNSF wanted to route trains to Keddie, California, then east to Salt Lake City via a northern route that would allow the company to avoid paying the fees to use the southern route through Donner Pass. BNSF argued that UP’s reluctance to agree on the northern route was rooted in a desire to recoup funds for the Donner Pass upgrades and out of retribution because MSC and CMA CGM were former UP customers that switched to BNSF last year. UP said the Salt Lake City service could not begin last week as planned because BNSF did not provide adequate notice to UP management, so it required more time on UP’s part to hire the crews and build work schedules to accommodate BNSF. BNSF is hopeful the new route will result in volume growth. On average, about 25,000 containers per year move from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to Salt Lake City and about 15,000 annually from the Port of Oakland to Salt Lake City, according to Journal of Commerce estimates of data filed with the STB. Contact Ari Ashe at <a href="mailto:ari.ashe@spglobal.com">ari.ashe@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad (UP) have reached an agreement ending a dispute that delayed the launch of international intermodal train service between ports in California and Salt Lake City. The two railroads notified the US Surface Transportation Board (STB) of the deal ahead of a briefing that had been scheduled for next week to discuss details of the dispute with regulators. The meeting between the railroads and the STB has been canceled in light of the deal. The agreement clears the way for BNSF to move cargo from Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland to Salt Lake City for ocean carriers CMA CGM and Mediterranean Shipping Co. As part of the deal, BNSF agreed to use a southern route through Donner Pass, coming to an undisclosed financial agreement on compensation it will provide to UP. BNSF originally balked at the idea of the southern route crossing between Lake Tahoe and Reno because it said UP could charge for upgrades it made to the Donner Pass tunnel in 2009, which BNSF said would amount to tens of millions of dollars. UP owns the tracks and dispatching, but BNSF has trackage rights and provides the locomotives and railcars to operate the service. Originally, BNSF wanted to route trains to Keddie, California, then east to Salt Lake City via a northern route that would allow the company to avoid paying the fees to use the southern route through Donner Pass. BNSF argued that UP’s reluctance to agree on the northern route was rooted in a desire to recoup funds for the Donner Pass upgrades and out of retribution because MSC and CMA CGM were former UP customers that switched to BNSF last year. UP said the Salt Lake City service could not begin last week as planned because BNSF did not provide adequate notice to UP management, so it required more time on UP’s part to hire the crews and build work schedules to accommodate BNSF. BNSF is hopeful the new route will result in volume growth. On average, about 25,000 containers per year move from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to Salt Lake City and about 15,000 annually from the Port of Oakland to Salt Lake City, according to Journal of Commerce estimates of data filed with the STB. Contact Ari Ashe at ari.ashe@spglobal.com .

Surface

Rail News

North-American rail

Intermodal providers

BNSF to use ‘southern’ route to Salt Lake City under UP intermodal deal

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The NYK subsidiary has its sights on a booming third-party logistics provider healthcare market in Europe that is expected to grow 8.1% a year until 2030.</div>

The NYK subsidiary has its sights on a booming third-party logistics provider healthcare market in Europe that is expected to grow 8.1% a year until 2030.

<div class="phx-topic">Yusen Logistics Group said Thursday it has entered exclusive negotiations to acquire the healthcare logistics business of Walden Group as the Japanese logistics provider moves to expand its European footprint in the pharma sector. Paris-based Walden Group’s healthcare business includes Movianto, Eurotranspharma, Transpharma International and Walden Digital, which provide contract logistics, 4PL services, first-mile transportation and distribution services throughout Europe. Details of Yusen’s takeover offer were not disclosed. Yusen Logistics is owned by Japanese carrier NYK Group. Hiroki Harada, CEO and chairman of Yusen Logistics Group, said the company has been expanding its healthcare logistics coverage for several years and the Walden acquisition would grow its European and global footprint. “Today’s announcement is a significant step in our journey to become a leading healthcare logistics player,” Harada said. NYK positioned logistics as a core business segment in its medium-term management plan announced in March 2023. The Japanese shipping group subsequently acquired UK e-commerce logistics platform Noel Topco in February 2024 and Dutch auto parts logistics company Parts Express in April 2024. Walden Group has grown from a French to a pan-European logistics operator through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions, having notably acquired healthcare logistics provider Movianto from Owens and Minor in 2020. Walden healthcare logistics currently operates in 12 European countries where it serves pharmaceutical manufacturers, wholesalers and healthcare providers. The Yusen deal is being assessed by Walden’s workers’ councils. Following the review, completion of the transaction will be subject to the customary regulatory filings and approvals. The European healthcare third-party logistics market generated revenue of $66 billion in 2024, an increase of about 15% year over year, and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 8.1% from 2025 to 2030, according to a report by Horizon Grand View Research. Contact Greg Knowler at <a href="mailto:greg.knowler@spglobal.com">greg.knowler@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

Yusen Logistics Group said Thursday it has entered exclusive negotiations to acquire the healthcare logistics business of Walden Group as the Japanese logistics provider moves to expand its European footprint in the pharma sector. Paris-based Walden Group’s healthcare business includes Movianto, Eurotranspharma, Transpharma International and Walden Digital, which provide contract logistics, 4PL services, first-mile transportation and distribution services throughout Europe. Details of Yusen’s takeover offer were not disclosed. Yusen Logistics is owned by Japanese carrier NYK Group. Hiroki Harada, CEO and chairman of Yusen Logistics Group, said the company has been expanding its healthcare logistics coverage for several years and the Walden acquisition would grow its European and global footprint. “Today’s announcement is a significant step in our journey to become a leading healthcare logistics player,” Harada said. NYK positioned logistics as a core business segment in its medium-term management plan announced in March 2023. The Japanese shipping group subsequently acquired UK e-commerce logistics platform Noel Topco in February 2024 and Dutch auto parts logistics company Parts Express in April 2024. Walden Group has grown from a French to a pan-European logistics operator through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions, having notably acquired healthcare logistics provider Movianto from Owens and Minor in 2020. Walden healthcare logistics currently operates in 12 European countries where it serves pharmaceutical manufacturers, wholesalers and healthcare providers. The Yusen deal is being assessed by Walden’s workers’ councils. Following the review, completion of the transaction will be subject to the customary regulatory filings and approvals. The European healthcare third-party logistics market generated revenue of $66 billion in 2024, an increase of about 15% year over year, and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 8.1% from 2025 to 2030, according to a report by Horizon Grand View Research. Contact Greg Knowler at greg.knowler@spglobal.com .

Supply chain

Yusen Logistics in talks to acquire European healthcare provider Walden

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Artificial intelligence tools can help shippers automate tasks such as entry filing and classification, but it’s unclear whether most importers want to take on that burden. </div>

Artificial intelligence tools can help shippers automate tasks such as entry filing and classification, but it’s unclear whether most importers want to take on that burden.

<div class="phx-topic">The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools in global trade compliance, along with heightened demand for customs expertise due to rapid changes in US trade policy, is threatening to reshape the way shippers, customs brokers and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) interact with one another. It is likely the most significant shift in that set of relationships since security, rather than revenue collection, became the primary focus of US customs in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks in 2001. Essentially, AI is being used by CBP to target violations in such a way that it is forcing shippers and customs brokers to adopt technology that helps account for increased scrutiny, and increased accuracy of that scrutiny. The Trump administration’s intense focus on tariffs as a tool to reorient the US economy is translating into more investment in enforcement of country-of-origin designations and product classifications, as well as other customs violations. “The CBP budget was increased significantly, including for newer enforcement technology,” said Cindy Allen, CEO of consulting firm Trade Force Multiplier and a former customs executive with FedEx. Allen contends this will enable more targeted enforcement and investigations by CBP. “Customs brokers would be well-positioned to look at these same software and technology vendors and offer these services to their clients, especially the small to medium businesses who wouldn’t necessarily invest in this technology on their own,” she said. <h3>AI struggles with ‘gray’ </h3>While AI is everywhere these days, the reality is that it is not uniformly adept at all tasks. “AI at this stage is very good with the black and white analytics and validations, but it is not very good at the gray, and that is where the gray matter and expertise of licensed customs brokers is essential,” said Anand Raghavendran, chief product officer at KlearNow, a technology company that supports importers who want to self-file and those who need a customs broker to do so. In terms of the demands on brokers, Raghavendran said eliminating manual tasks is critical because extra capacity is needed to interpret and quickly implement changes in trade policy. “To remain competitive, brokers need to move past their traditional transactional roles and become much more digitally empowered,” he said. <h3>Plethora of options </h3>There’s no shortage of solutions from which customs brokers can choose. Companies founded over the last two years have taken advantage of underlying advancements in software development to build products faster, while established trade technology providers have developed AI tools to enhance their existing products. Exhibitors at the American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI) annual conference in late June were a testament to that proliferation, with so-called “digital customs brokers” interspersed with tools aimed at brokers, shippers and customs agencies. Those products tend to touch areas such as entry creation automation or AI-powered classification determination. There has also been a rise in the number of digital brokers, basically traditional brokers built using modern software that’s intended to interface with customs more easily. “Technology is not making customs brokers redundant, it’s making them resilient,” said Sam Basu, CEO and founder of customs software vendor Anchor AI. “Experienced brokers who have institutional knowledge and use technology to move faster and with far greater accuracy are ultimately CBP’s most dependable allies.” It seems implausible that customs brokers lose their value overnight, but the pressures on that segment of the industry are significant. Aside from technology promising more process efficiency, the current environment means brokers, trade consultants, and attorneys are overrun with demand for their services. <h3>Self-filing quandary </h3>There remains belief in some circles that over time more shippers will be empowered to self-file, or to use digital brokers instead of traditional ones. Basu, however, said digital-first brokers often focus on low-complexity, high-volume freight, and self-filing remains perilous for most importers. “It might sound appealing in theory, but the reality is that most importers don’t see it as a viable option,” Basu said. “Self-filing requires in-house trade compliance expertise, real-time awareness of regulatory changes, and the infrastructure to respond if something goes wrong, like a hold, audit, or penalty.” Most companies simply don’t have the appetite for that, he said, especially when the cost of a misclassification or missed regulation can far outweigh the savings of skipping a broker. However, Justin Sherlock, CEO of customs software startup Caspian, said there is an increasing appetite for self-filing. “Hiring in-house trade compliance experts has grown rapidly with recent trade policy, and so I expect demand for self-filing technology to grow as well,” he said. “Customs brokers will always have a strong footing in [the small and medium-sized business market], where teams depend on them for outsourced expertise. But among enterprises, brokers will be compared against a deeper bench of in-house capabilities.” Allen agreed, saying that while most importers are going to rely even more on brokers given the speed of regulatory changes has quickened, “those that do invest in self-filing are usually larger companies that have done a cost/benefit analysis.” More transformational will be how AI is deployed, said Sherlock. “AI tools are raising the bar for what is expected of knowledge workers,” he said. “Customs brokers are increasingly expected to act as trade advisors. Accurate entry filing is becoming table stakes, despite it also being harder now than ever before. Executive teams are asking for integrated data, documents, and insights to manage near-daily changes to trade policy. So digitally native brokers that can provide this access will win.” <h3>‘Human involvement’ </h3>Allen described the AI mandate on brokers as being similar in significance to when they had to first adjust to automation during the rollout of the Automated Commercial System (ACS) nearly four decades ago. Indeed, even as surging demand and technology advancements herald a new era of shipper-broker-CBP interaction, brokers remain confident they have an edge that will remain. “The intricacies of international trade regulations, evolving tariff mandates, and sudden executive orders lead to potential disputes regarding the legal information presented, often necessitating human involvement,” said JD Gonzalez, president of the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA). “While technology can streamline certain processes, it is unlikely to fully replace the need for experienced customs brokers.” Where brokers invest is likely to be the determinant of their ability to adapt. Allen noted that brokers “who resisted the automation of ACS are no longer in operation.” Basu said the priorities should be on software that helps automate what slows a broker down, generally processes such as entry generation or classification. But they should also invest in things that build client trust, he said. “They’re leaning into advisory roles by helping importers interpret policy changes, model duty impact, and prepare for audits,” Basu said. “This is how long-term loyalty is built.” Contact Eric Johnson at <a href="mailto:eric.johnson@spglobal.com">eric.johnson@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools in global trade compliance, along with heightened demand for customs expertise due to rapid changes in US trade policy, is threatening to reshape the way shippers, customs brokers and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) interact with one another. It is likely the most significant shift in that set of relationships since security, rather than revenue collection, became the primary focus of US customs in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks in 2001. Essentially, AI is being used by CBP to target violations in such a way that it is forcing shippers and customs brokers to adopt technology that helps account for increased scrutiny, and increased accuracy of that scrutiny. The Trump administration’s intense focus on tariffs as a tool to reorient the US economy is translating into more investment in enforcement of country-of-origin designations and product classifications, as well as other customs violations. “The CBP budget was increased significantly, including for newer enforcement technology,” said Cindy Allen, CEO of consulting firm Trade Force Multiplier and a former customs executive with FedEx. Allen contends this will enable more targeted enforcement and investigations by CBP. “Customs brokers would be well-positioned to look at these same software and technology vendors and offer these services to their clients, especially the small to medium businesses who wouldn’t necessarily invest in this technology on their own,” she said. AI struggles with ‘gray’ While AI is everywhere these days, the reality is that it is not uniformly adept at all tasks. “AI at this stage is very good with the black and white analytics and validations, but it is not very good at the gray, and that is where the gray matter and expertise of licensed customs brokers is essential,” said Anand Raghavendran, chief product officer at KlearNow, a technology company that supports importers who want to self-file and those who need a customs broker to do so. In terms of the demands on brokers, Raghavendran said eliminating manual tasks is critical because extra capacity is needed to interpret and quickly implement changes in trade policy. “To remain competitive, brokers need to move past their traditional transactional roles and become much more digitally empowered,” he said. Plethora of options There’s no shortage of solutions from which customs brokers can choose. Companies founded over the last two years have taken advantage of underlying advancements in software development to build products faster, while established trade technology providers have developed AI tools to enhance their existing products. Exhibitors at the American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI) annual conference in late June were a testament to that proliferation, with so-called “digital customs brokers” interspersed with tools aimed at brokers, shippers and customs agencies. Those products tend to touch areas such as entry creation automation or AI-powered classification determination. There has also been a rise in the number of digital brokers, basically traditional brokers built using modern software that’s intended to interface with customs more easily. “Technology is not making customs brokers redundant, it’s making them resilient,” said Sam Basu, CEO and founder of customs software vendor Anchor AI. “Experienced brokers who have institutional knowledge and use technology to move faster and with far greater accuracy are ultimately CBP’s most dependable allies.” It seems implausible that customs brokers lose their value overnight, but the pressures on that segment of the industry are significant. Aside from technology promising more process efficiency, the current environment means brokers, trade consultants, and attorneys are overrun with demand for their services. Self-filing quandary There remains belief in some circles that over time more shippers will be empowered to self-file, or to use digital brokers instead of traditional ones. Basu, however, said digital-first brokers often focus on low-complexity, high-volume freight, and self-filing remains perilous for most importers. “It might sound appealing in theory, but the reality is that most importers don’t see it as a viable option,” Basu said. “Self-filing requires in-house trade compliance expertise, real-time awareness of regulatory changes, and the infrastructure to respond if something goes wrong, like a hold, audit, or penalty.” Most companies simply don’t have the appetite for that, he said, especially when the cost of a misclassification or missed regulation can far outweigh the savings of skipping a broker. However, Justin Sherlock, CEO of customs software startup Caspian, said there is an increasing appetite for self-filing. “Hiring in-house trade compliance experts has grown rapidly with recent trade policy, and so I expect demand for self-filing technology to grow as well,” he said. “Customs brokers will always have a strong footing in [the small and medium-sized business market], where teams depend on them for outsourced expertise. But among enterprises, brokers will be compared against a deeper bench of in-house capabilities.” Allen agreed, saying that while most importers are going to rely even more on brokers given the speed of regulatory changes has quickened, “those that do invest in self-filing are usually larger companies that have done a cost/benefit analysis.” More transformational will be how AI is deployed, said Sherlock. “AI tools are raising the bar for what is expected of knowledge workers,” he said. “Customs brokers are increasingly expected to act as trade advisors. Accurate entry filing is becoming table stakes, despite it also being harder now than ever before. Executive teams are asking for integrated data, documents, and insights to manage near-daily changes to trade policy. So digitally native brokers that can provide this access will win.” ‘Human involvement’ Allen described the AI mandate on brokers as being similar in significance to when they had to first adjust to automation during the rollout of the Automated Commercial System (ACS) nearly four decades ago. Indeed, even as surging demand and technology advancements herald a new era of shipper-broker-CBP interaction, brokers remain confident they have an edge that will remain. “The intricacies of international trade regulations, evolving tariff mandates, and sudden executive orders lead to potential disputes regarding the legal information presented, often necessitating human involvement,” said JD Gonzalez, president of the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA). “While technology can streamline certain processes, it is unlikely to fully replace the need for experienced customs brokers.” Where brokers invest is likely to be the determinant of their ability to adapt. Allen noted that brokers “who resisted the automation of ACS are no longer in operation.” Basu said the priorities should be on software that helps automate what slows a broker down, generally processes such as entry generation or classification. But they should also invest in things that build client trust, he said. “They’re leaning into advisory roles by helping importers interpret policy changes, model duty impact, and prepare for audits,” Basu said. “This is how long-term loyalty is built.” Contact Eric Johnson at eric.johnson@spglobal.com .

Logistics Technology News

Automation, tariff pressures put onus on customs brokers to adapt

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Despite significant injections of reefer capacity in early 2025, US cold chain stakeholders say they continue to face equipment scarcity issues.</div>

Despite significant injections of reefer capacity in early 2025, US cold chain stakeholders say they continue to face equipment scarcity issues.

<div class="phx-topic">The production of refrigerated containers globally is at its highest level in at least a decade, but that hasn’t been enough to relieve reefer scarcity amid increased maintenance needs, retirement of older equipment, elevated demand on some regional trades and rising market volatility, US market stakeholders say. Figures prepared for the Journal of Commerce by maritime consultancy Drewry show 93,000 TEUs of reefer equipment entered the global market in the first quarter of 2025, up almost 145% from the same period of 2024. “On average, over the last 10 years, the industry has produced somewhere between 275,000 to 300,000 TEUs of reefer equipment annually,” said Bob Sappio, CEO of refrigerated container lessor SeaCube. “This year, we’re expecting there to be closer to 350,000 TEUs.” Nearly all reefer containers are produced by three Chinese companies: China International Marine Containers, Dong Fang International Containers and Guangdong FUWA Engineering Group Co. According to Sappio, the lead time for ordering new 40-foot reefer containers has doubled to about four months. Costs are also going up, as recent steel tariffs raise prices of any equipment purchases made in the US. <h3>A hot cold chain </h3>Extreme heat is one factor driving up equipment problems. Amanda Oren, vice president of industry strategy for grocery at supply chain planning company RELEX, said that they’ve seen more disruptions due to high temperatures. “The East Coast has been [extremely hot] ...” Oren told the Journal of Commerce. “It’s impacting the supply chain at large for refrigerated product.” According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 13 heat records were broken in the 30 days leading up to July 12, with another 14 heat records tied. Many of those were concentrated on the East Coast. A forwarder focused on temperature-controlled shipments told the Journal of Commerce that reefer equipment is put under more stress in high temperatures, and many locations won’t load a reefer until it’s cooled. “Cooling an empty container full of hot air is no easy task,” said the forwarder. “When the [equipment] is put under this kind of stress, any weak points can become fail points, and we see an uptick in maintenance issues and failures when we see temperatures like we have.” As maintenance needs are magnified by elevated temperatures, some aging equipment is already due for retirement, said Sappio. A significant portion of the global reefer fleet is 11 to 14 years old, he said, meaning it’s close to being withdrawn from service. <h3>US demand cooled in May </h3>The US moved record-setting reefer volumes last year, reaching a total of 467,700 TEUs, up 17% compared with 2023, according to PIERS, a sister company of the Journal of Commerce within S&amp; P Global. This May, however, PIERS data shows US reefer exports at 56,254 TEUs, down nearly 20% compared with last year. Similarly, May reefer imports were down 5.4% on the year at 156,733 TEUs, the lowest monthly total since August 2023. <div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="4ef4b851-58b1-4fdd-b7c5-ad0e1717a1f9"></dynamic-object></div>Oren says tariffs are driving some shippers to diversify supply chains and re-source cargo, further contributing to instability. “We’re starting to see product being sourced that used to come from China looking at different sourcing options, like Southeast Asia or South Korea,” she said. Still, the global reefer market is predicted to grow about 2% annually through 2029, according to figures from Drewry shared during a reefer webinar last month. “The reefer trade is growing okay, but obviously there [are] some areas which are growing faster than others,” Philip Gray, Drewry’s senior associate of reefer shipping, said during the webinar. Oceania to Asia, Central America to North America and North Europe to Asia were the lanes with the most significant growth last year, according to the webinar. But the lack of predictability, sources say, is making it harder for carriers to accurately position equipment to meet the shifting demands of different trades. “Uncertainty and volatility are just going to be our companions, certainly for [the rest] of this year,” said Sappio. “It’s difficult under normal circumstances to accurately forecast, but under these circumstances, it’s nearly impossible.” Contact Laura Robb at <a href="mailto:Laura.Robb@spglobal.com">laura.robb@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

The production of refrigerated containers globally is at its highest level in at least a decade, but that hasn’t been enough to relieve reefer scarcity amid increased maintenance needs, retirement of older equipment, elevated demand on some regional trades and rising market volatility, US market stakeholders say. Figures prepared for the Journal of Commerce by maritime consultancy Drewry show 93,000 TEUs of reefer equipment entered the global market in the first quarter of 2025, up almost 145% from the same period of 2024. “On average, over the last 10 years, the industry has produced somewhere between 275,000 to 300,000 TEUs of reefer equipment annually,” said Bob Sappio, CEO of refrigerated container lessor SeaCube. “This year, we’re expecting there to be closer to 350,000 TEUs.” Nearly all reefer containers are produced by three Chinese companies: China International Marine Containers, Dong Fang International Containers and Guangdong FUWA Engineering Group Co. According to Sappio, the lead time for ordering new 40-foot reefer containers has doubled to about four months. Costs are also going up, as recent steel tariffs raise prices of any equipment purchases made in the US. A hot cold chain Extreme heat is one factor driving up equipment problems. Amanda Oren, vice president of industry strategy for grocery at supply chain planning company RELEX, said that they’ve seen more disruptions due to high temperatures. “The East Coast has been [extremely hot] ...” Oren told the Journal of Commerce. “It’s impacting the supply chain at large for refrigerated product.” According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 13 heat records were broken in the 30 days leading up to July 12, with another 14 heat records tied. Many of those were concentrated on the East Coast. A forwarder focused on temperature-controlled shipments told the Journal of Commerce that reefer equipment is put under more stress in high temperatures, and many locations won’t load a reefer until it’s cooled. “Cooling an empty container full of hot air is no easy task,” said the forwarder. “When the [equipment] is put under this kind of stress, any weak points can become fail points, and we see an uptick in maintenance issues and failures when we see temperatures like we have.” As maintenance needs are magnified by elevated temperatures, some aging equipment is already due for retirement, said Sappio. A significant portion of the global reefer fleet is 11 to 14 years old, he said, meaning it’s close to being withdrawn from service. US demand cooled in May The US moved record-setting reefer volumes last year, reaching a total of 467,700 TEUs, up 17% compared with 2023, according to PIERS, a sister company of the Journal of Commerce within S& P Global. This May, however, PIERS data shows US reefer exports at 56,254 TEUs, down nearly 20% compared with last year. Similarly, May reefer imports were down 5.4% on the year at 156,733 TEUs, the lowest monthly total since August 2023. Oren says tariffs are driving some shippers to diversify supply chains and re-source cargo, further contributing to instability. “We’re starting to see product being sourced that used to come from China looking at different sourcing options, like Southeast Asia or South Korea,” she said. Still, the global reefer market is predicted to grow about 2% annually through 2029, according to figures from Drewry shared during a reefer webinar last month. “The reefer trade is growing okay, but obviously there [are] some areas which are growing faster than others,” Philip Gray, Drewry’s senior associate of reefer shipping, said during the webinar. Oceania to Asia, Central America to North America and North Europe to Asia were the lanes with the most significant growth last year, according to the webinar. But the lack of predictability, sources say, is making it harder for carriers to accurately position equipment to meet the shifting demands of different trades. “Uncertainty and volatility are just going to be our companions, certainly for [the rest] of this year,” said Sappio. “It’s difficult under normal circumstances to accurately forecast, but under these circumstances, it’s nearly impossible.” Contact Laura Robb at laura.robb@spglobal.com .

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The world of LTL is slow to embrace change. Business anachronisms permeate current supply chain processes. These vestiges of the way things used to work define the LTL freight transportation procurement process of many modern shippers.David Knuth, logistics specialist at IEWC, a global supplier of cable and wire based in Wisconsin, is happy to have modernized the RFP process, automating the entire LTL bidding procedure with Bid$ense, SMC³’s automated truckload and LTL freight transportation sourcing solution. But when prompted, he can still recall what once was.In his previous job, a large part of his duties were consumed by creating an intermodal bid package for carriers. In a spreadsheet, Knuth detailed the company’s volumes lane by lane, taking care to delete any errant keystrokes or misleading data. He would then email out the information to each carrier, taking time to respond to detailed technical questions about the spreadsheet data. Finally, he had to compile all the results, create an algorithm that would compare the carriers on each lane, and award the business.“It was a huge undertaking. It took about four months to do,” Knuth said of the old process. “It was almost a full-time job for that part of the year, every year.”In his new job at IEWC, he sat down with Bid$ense on day one and was amazed at the capabilities. Knuth had never before used a bid tool. SMC³’s latest versions of Bid$ense automate the process even further, taking truckload and LTL RFPs entirely online. The tool draws on RFP best-practices protocols to streamline the bidding communication process, enabling bidding carriers to respond accurately and promptly to shipper requests. The solution also does all the distribution work automatically, electronically submitting shipper bid data to carriers based on their actual service capabilities and performance records. Carriers are alerted with timely prompts for RFP deliverables, so shippers aren’t waiting by the phone for responses.Another benefit of automating the process is the data-cleansing assistance. When Knuth sent spreadsheets to carriers, data errors might cloud the bidding process; he might have to resend data or simply accept a price that did not truly reflect the costs of doing business. Data cleansing is incredibly beneficial, he said.The spreadsheet technique also made bidding analysis an onerous task. Since Bid$ense automates and streamlines the entire RFP process, intensive examination is now simple. SMC³ knows that each bid has more than one best outcome. With uniform responses from each carrier, shippers can quickly rank results and create an unlimited quantity of what-if scenarios to make the optimal procurement decision.Jesse Burnett of Central Garden &amp; Pet experiences many of the same benefits. Founded in 1980, Central Garden &amp; Pet has spent the last three decades growing from a small garden supply company to a provider of a range of products from dog chews and bird seed to soil supplements and natural insecticides. For much of its life, the company shipped these disparate goods via LTL and truckload carriers to retailers throughout the country, relying on each business unit to negotiate directly with their freight transportation providers. This arrangement worked fairly well for a small company, but as Central Garden &amp; Pet expanded, leadership decided to consolidate decision making.Burnett helped centralize the transportation decision making in 2015 with SMC³’s Bid$ense. Before Bid$ense, every business unit operated independently as far as negotiating with carriers.“There were a lot of different things just floating around,” he said. “We didn’t have master agreements in place; no national pricing at all. The pricing from carriers was just all over the place, depending on where you were.”The transformations he saw with Bid$ense were immediate. Burnett has been using the tool about every other year since its implementation at the company. Central Garden and Pet’s $19.6 million 2019 LTL bid saved the company just more than 9 percent when compared to its historical average. For Burnett, though, bid automation extends far beyond savings.“We knew that we weren’t getting the best pricing offer from our carriers just because nothing was centralized,” he continued. “We knew that if we combined everything from all these business units and paired it with one corporate offering, then it would drive some cost benefit with it.”When the company initially decided to centralize bid procurement, executives researched a number of different methodologies and technologies. In the end, though, Burnett found that Bid$ense was both widespread and well known, and that his carrier partners already knew how to use the application. Burnett also highlighted the data-cleansing process as a major benefit, saying the rigorous process ensures that carriers always return the best price.“It definitely has helped drive savings,” he said. “Any time you go out there and you drive that competitiveness with the carriers and they know they’re in a bid environment, it seems to sharpen their pencils.”Transportation procurement is an integral part of the modern supply chain. With Bid$ense, shippers can develop a strategic implementation plan that saves them time and money, but also helps them create strong relationships with their carrier partners. These carriers appreciate the solution’s data-cleansing process; when carriers receive a complete shipment history and future volume forecast, they don’t have to guess on pricing. Carriers that receive more data from shippers get a complete picture of that shipper’s freight, allowing them to accurately plan instead of simply preparing for the worst-case scenario. Clean data presented through an automated system can lead to both bigger shipment savings and a lasting partnership between carrier and customer.Whether customers are looking to streamline over-the-road transportation bidding by automating the RFP process or create an entirely new, centralized sourcing process, Bid$ense has the analytical horsepower to get the job done.SMC³ 2020 Customer Case Study

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Shippers save money, time with automated transportation bidding tools

If there’s one immutable truth in the world of logistics, it’s this: LTL is an inherently complex form of transportation. Tariffs, rates, DIM weights, transit times — it’s enough to confuse even seasoned logistics professionals. The solution to this knowledge gap has historically been on-the-job training or university supply chain education, but for a variety of reasons there is now a pressing need for third-party, remote LTL training that prepares logistics workers for transportation success. Global Scope Can Overlook Local Intricacies In the past, professionals looking to move into a supply chain career learned about the basics of supply chain from universities. However, many of these college supply chain programs are now global in scope, focusing on worldwide supply chain management instead of the intricacies of specialized domestic transportation. And even these programs, which used to be widespread, are becoming less common. LTL is not an industry of broad-brush strokes; supply chain professionals really need a pointillistic understanding of the logistics of LTL in order to excel in the industry. Accelerating Need for Dedicated LTL Education This lack of specified training put the onus on employers to prepare new hires with the LTL knowledge needed to do their jobs. Dedicated LTL study is a necessity, not a luxury. At the same time, changes in LTL and the broader supply chain world are accelerating. The reliance on e-commerce has ballooned since the start of the pandemic, and last-mile LTL shipments and related e-commerce strains on the supply chain won’t diminish once social distancing abates. That genie isn’t going back into the bottle. So supply chain employers need logistics workers that are fully versed in all aspects of the industry, ready to solve unique shipping and delivery problems based on their extensive supply chain knowledge But why care about LTL? It’s been reported that some shippers in today’s world are no longer concerned with what mode is used to ship their goods. A Multimodal Approach Ensures On-Time Delivery This mode agnosticism means supply chain stakeholders have to be well versed in all modes of transportation. As unforeseen weather events and other disruptions, such as protests, become more common, savvy logistics employees will need to be armed with familiarity of all modes, not just the most popular, to ensure that freight is delivered on time, without damage, and in the most financially expedient way possible. Offerings like SMC³’s LTL online education courses cover a wide range of topics from LTL basics and operations to more advanced concepts like pricing analytics and transportation law. The company also has plans to continually refresh content, adding new expert presenters and taking the feedback of students to make the courses even better as time goes on. Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://logisticstrainingcenter.com/smc3-courses/" rel="noreferrer" class="joc_admin__link">SMC³’s LTL Online Education program</a>&nbsp;and view the 2021 hybrid schedule, featuring live industry experts,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smc3.com/onlinelearning2021/" rel="noreferrer" class="joc_admin__link">here.</a>

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