As 2019 winds down, profitability remains a moving target for container shipping lines, and unpredictable trade flows out of Asia and poor supply-demand fundamentals are clouding the container shipping outlook. Trade tensions on the trans-Pacific are changing demand patterns among US shippers, and BCOs were reporting tight space at loading ports in China and Vietnam well into the fall. Carriers are responding by adjusting schedules and adding capacity to Southeast Asian strings as BCOs shift sourcing from China to avoid US tariffs, even as expectations of a US-China trade agreement gathered momentum. Compounding the demand uncertainty is the Jan. 1 implementation date of the IMO 2020 low-sulfur fuel regulation. The head haul trade from Asia to Europe faces its own challenges, with poor supply-demand fundamentals leading to increasing capacity management by carriers. Then there is intra-Asia, the world's largest container shipping trade and one of the most volatile. BIMCO reports weakness building in the trade this year and believes it's a signal of declining export orders, prompting the global shipping association to forecast slowing Asia-Europe demand. 

This webcast, featuring outlooks from the JOC and Peter Sand, BIMCO’s chief shipping analyst, will take a deep dive into the fundamentals driving the global container shipping market as 2020 approaches.

Merger and acquisition activity among forwarders and other logistics interests is surging, and shippers likely will emerge as big winners as rates become more competitive and new services emerge. The flurry of M&A activity this year includes the takeover of logistics giant Panalpina by Danish transportation company DSV and the acquisition of CEVA Logistics by French carrier CMA CGM. Other large players, including DFDS, Kuehne + Nagel, and SEKO Logistics, are engaged in or plan further acquisitions. The M&A activity comes in the wake of strong growth in 2018, when 3PL net revenues in the US grew more than 12 percent to an estimated $86.4 billion and overall gross revenue jumped 15.8 percent to $213.5 billion, according to consulting company Armstrong & Associates Inc., the fastest rate of growth since 2010, when the industry was climbing out of the depths of the global recession. As 2019 nears, however, several warning signs are emerging: Global economic growth is slowing precipitously; the US-China trade war is now in its second year, with no clear resolution in sight; regulations such as the IMO 2020 low-sulfur mandate are clouding the picture on costs; high inventory levels are making future trade growth levels difficult to project; and the extent to which technology services — from traditional forwarders as well as so-called disruptors — is helping is still an open debate. This webcast will analyze the critical issues defining 2019, and what they mean in the year ahead.

Moderator:
Chris Brooks, Director, Programming, JOC Events, Maritime & Trade, IHS Markit

Speakers:
Richard Armstrong, Chairman & CEO, Armstrong & Associates
Daniel Gardner, President, Trade Facilitators Inc.

Interested in sponsoring this webcast? For more information, please contact Tony Stein at Tony.Stein@ihsmarkit.com

The last two years show how quickly the freight market can swing back and forth...from contracted rates through RFPs to spot market.

In 2020, will capacity suddenly tighten when more carriers go out of business?

Up-and-coming Freight Brokers are turning to a new generation of RFP Collaboration Software to lock in contracted rates — the bedrock of their business — by qualifying the right bids and responding faster than their competitors.

Join the Sales, IT and Finance leadership of GenPro, an NJ-based expedited freight provider for a real-world case study discussion on:

• The impact of market swings from spot to contracted rates...and what this meant for their shipper RFP process

• When they realized it was time to act and look for RFP collaboration software, and how they evaluated build vs. buy

• Why they selected Winmore, the leader in bid and tender collaboration software and the business case they used to build the case for change 

• The results of deploying Winmore in terms of ROI, measurable value, customer satisfaction, and strategy for 2020.

Moderator:  
Alessandra Barrett, Senior Content Editor, JOC

Speakers:
John Golob, Chief Marketing Officer, Winmore
Caitlin Meaden, Director of Sales and Marketing, GenPro Inc.

Technology is often presented as the answer to all shipper ills. But often, shippers juggle an array of problems for which they see technology as a solution, not the solution. The challenge of keeping up with the latest and greatest software bumps up against the need to keep the business moving. And logistics practitioners believe the ability of their teams to innovate in creative ways sometimes can eliminate the need to invest in new systems.

This webcast, led by JOC Senior Technology Editor Eric Johnson and timed to occur in the wake of the JOC LogTech19 Conference, will analyze the state of logistics tech, what solutions are working to alleviate shipper challenges, and what new solutions shippers can expect to see over the next year.

Moderator:
Eric Johnson, Senior Editor, Technology, JOC

Speakers:
Angela Czajkowski, Director, Supply Chain, Shapiro
Audrey Ross, Logistics and Customs Specialist, Orchard Custom Beauty

You have tightly controlled quality assurance processes at your suppliers, packagers and plants. But once your product has left those safe havens, how do you maintain product integrity? You must ensure safety and compliance from end to end, including while the product is in transit. Hear real practical examples and lessons learned from industry leaders using Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and real-time visibility to prevent damage, theft and diversion.