Ocean and Key Ports Update
The International Longshoremen Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd. (USMX) have announced a tentative agreement on a new, six-year master contract, thereby ending the threat of a U.S. Gulf and East Coast strike.
This agreement ensures continued operations at major ports, safeguarding the stability of supply chains that handle nearly half of U.S. imports. All services should be performed as per latest available schedules and no additional contingencies are planned at this time.
Elsewhere, our teams are finalising preparations for the phase-in of the Network of the Future that will go live on 1 February 2025. Our new network’s goal is to deliver a well-connected ocean network that aims to provide unmatched and industry-leading reliability above 90 percent for services under the Gemini scope of trades, when the new network is fully phased in.
As of December 2024, the Network of the Future is open for bookings. For the latest information on scopes and mainliner services, please click here.
Across key ports in Europe, at this time of the year, instances of dense fog, strong winds, and snowfall commonly occur, sometimes impacting operations and causing stoppages at the terminals. Our teams continue to monitor the weather forecast and the situations across the terminals and work on mitigating measures where necessary. Aside from temporary and local weather disruptions, terminals across the continent continue to show stable performance.
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Air Freight Update
Maersk Air Cargo is expanding its offering between Europe and Asia, with the addition of a new service between Billund, Denmark, and Zhengzhou, the capital of the Henan province in central China.
The service complements our existing route to Hangzhou, and will operate six days per week on Boeing 767 equipment. Please reach out to your local Maersk representative to discuss securing capacity and further options for Europe – Asia cargo.
The expansion comes off the back of a successful 2024 at Billund Airport, where Maersk saw handled volume increase significantly as businesses continued to utilise Billund as the ideal gateway to Europe.
Please click here to find helpful information about the Maersk air freight network and our services to and from Europe.
Inland Update
The turn of the year typically brings several changes and updates to logistics processes and our teams would like to inform customers importing cargo through the Port of Rotterdam to further inland destinations of a new container release process at the port. Starting 3 February 2025, Secure Chain, an extension to the existing Portbase services used for container release, will become the requirement for collecting all types of import containers from all origins. Throughout last year, we have rolled out the process for different destinations and worked closely with customers on getting them on board the new process. To help prevent potential delays due to container discharge from the port, we kindly ask customers to register with Secure Chain as soon as possible. For more information and the necessary steps, please click here.
Throughout 2024, our teams have had the opportunity to work with businesses across industries and have noticed that many grapple with similar challenges when optimising their inland supply chains. Heading into 2025, we remain committed to providing the tools and support needed to keep our customers’ inland supply chains efficient, predictable, and stress-free.
One of the most significant challenges in logistics is ensuring the availability of equipment and transport at the right time. This is particularly a challenge during peak season, when demand spikes and delays are costly.
Likewise, unpredictable pricing structures can put additional financial burden on businesses and result in additional stress. Further unnecessary delays can happen due to lack of visibility, real-time tracking and digital documentation, as well as lengthy administrative processes.
Our teams have designed solutions to help customers overcome these challenges, whether they’re working with us through long-term contracts, or leveraging SPOT, our digital platform for instant bookings. Maersk SPOT allows customers to secure both equipment and capacity at the time of booking and has a transparent pricing structure built into the platform. Customers benefit from Ocean and Inland transportation integrated into one platform, and access real-time tracking and digital documentation data. To find out more about Maersk SPOT for your inland bookings, click here.
To discuss the best options for your business and supply chain, please get in touch with your local Sales Representative, or find out more about our Inland solutions and services across Europe.
Customs Update
The European Commission has imposed definitive anti-dumping duties on mobile access equipment (MAE) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) imports from China.
From January 10th 2025, importers of MAE designed for the lifting of persons will have to pay anti-dumping duties of up to 54.9%. There are different rates, depending on the supplier in China, and not every part or lifting system will be included. Please click here for more information.
Certain titanium dioxide imports, meanwhile, will be subject to anti-dumping duties of up to €0.74 per kilogram. Head to this link to see if your cargo is affected.
Elsewere, the EU and four Mercosur countries – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay – finalised negotiations for a groundbreaking EU-Mercosur partnership agreement. When the free trade agreement comes into effect, traders of cars, machinery, ICT equipment, textiles, chocolate, spirits and wine will benefit from the removal of tariffs.
The deal will now have to be approved by EU member states, and the European Parliament and is still to progress through the appropriate approval processes within Mercosur.
Finally, the European Parliament officially postponed the EU Deforestation Regulation by one year, as suggested by the EU Commission. Large operators and traders now must comply as of 30 December 2025, and micro and small enterprises must comply by 30 June 2026. The additional time is in place to help operators implement the rules smoothly from the start without undermining the objectives of the law.
You can already start today by mapping your trade flows to identify the scope and products affected. Maersk’s Global Trade and Customs Consultancy Team has developed a service for businesses to comply with the regulations. Our experts are on hand to help classify products under EUDR, to ensure control and visibility. You can get in touch through consulting@lns.maersk.com.
Ecommerce Update
Last year has seen a rise and confirmation of large Chinese online retailers focusing on low-cost products promoted through intensive online advertising practices. Especially during big sales events at the end of the year that saw consumers spend 241.4 billion USD on online purchases, Chinese online retailers have amped up their advertising spend, particularly on hyper-targeted expressions and keywords. For European retailers relying on search advertising, this trend means increase in ad spend coupled with a decrease in profitability will see many brands turn to other channels like social media, influencers, as well as traditional forms of advertising.
While shopping on smartphones has been growing for some time, and recently contributing to over half of online transactions during peak shopping season, social commerce is seeing an even bigger boom. The growth of integrated shopping features across social media platforms, combined with live shopping that combines livestreams with instant purchases, is expected to generate 1.2 trillion dollars in revenue in 2025.
Throughout 2025, ecommerce returns are expected to remain a hot topic for consumers and businesses alike – in the UK, for example, 66% of consumers say free delivery is the most important consideration when making online purchases, while 61% shop only from retailers offering paid returns.
Businesses are also looking at optimising their returns processes, with marketplaces recently shortening their return period in an effort to bring products back on the shelves quicker. Find out more about using returns to optimise your ecommerce supply chain.
To find out more about how our teams can help provide the best ecommerce delivery solutions for your business, visit our E-Delivery page.
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