Ahead of Five Year Plan

Deficit surge exposes Germany’s China reliance

China has reclaimed its position as Germany’s largest trading partner, underscoring deeper import reliance and Beijing’s growing weight in global markets. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit yielded little public insight, with no joint press events and…

Proposal for an Industrial Acceleration Act

Brussels bets on local content to revive industry

Europe's industrial erosion is driving a new regulatory push. The European Commission has proposed an Industrial Accelerator Act tying public funding and procurement to European production across steel, cement, aluminium, clean technology and…

Highway tolls turn

March lorry‑toll increase shelved by Hungary’s transport ministry

Hungary’s transport ministry has withdrawn a planned increase in road tolls for heavy lorries that was due to take effect in March, reversing the second stage of a tariff adjustment scheduled for this year. The government had originally intended a…

2025 annual figures

Kuehne + Nagel targets efficiency gains

The Swiss logistics group closed 2025 with stable revenue but a decline in operating profit and net income, prompting a cost‑cutting programme and expanded use of artificial intelligence. At its results presentation on Tuesday, the company said US…

Behind the Scenes in Berlin

Germany's infrastructure act draws environmental fire

Plans to accelerate infrastructure approvals have run into strong opposition from environmental groups and the Greens, who warn the legislation would undermine the foundations of the country's environmental law. The bill passed its first reading in…

US and Israel led bombings

Iran war disrupts shipping and air cargo capacity

The Iran war has hit freight flows by sea and air across the Gulf, forcing carriers to suspend passages, reroute services and levy emergency surcharges. Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have halted transits through the Strait of Hormuz until further notice.…

Container Shipping

Hapag-Lloyd appoints Gernandt as supervisory board chair amid governance reshuffle

Hapag-Lloyd has revised the leadership of its supervisory board after long‑standing chair Michael Behrendt stepped back for health reasons. Karl Gernandt, a senior figure within the Kühne Group, has been elected chair with immediate effect, while…

2025 Results

Rotterdam throughput slips as bulk decline outweighs container gains

Europe’s largest port delivered a mixed set of results last year, as firmer container volumes failed to offset a sharper downturn in bulk cargo. Total throughput fell 1.7 per cent to 428.4 million tonnes, the port authority said. Container traffic…

Restructuring plan

Cross‑border push tests DB Cargo’s strength in a crowded market

DB Cargo is accelerating a shift towards a Europe‑wide operating model as CEO Bernhard Osburg seeks to secure the company’s place in an increasingly competitive rail freight market. With about sixty per cent of volumes already cross‑border, sales,…

Definitive court ruling

Airlines lose appeals over EU air‑freight cartel fines

The fifteen‑year dispute over fines for an air‑freight cartel has concluded after the European Court of Justice rejected almost all appeals by twelve airlines. The carriers were penalised for coordinating fuel and security surcharges and for refusing…

Freight forwarding

Flexport sets sights on India as supply chains shift to the subcontinent

The US‑based digital freight forwarder, Flexport, plans to expand its presence in India, with CEO Ryan Petersen announcing on LinkedIn that the company aims to become the country’s leading international forwarder by the end of the decade. His…

Expanding shipping companies

Brussels softens approach to vertical integration in revised port strategy

The European Commission has toned down plans to take a tougher look at the growing vertical integration of major logistics groups in the maritime supply chain, according to a newly revised draft of its port strategy. A version leaked in early…

Road freight transport

Italy’s hauliers fail to secure legally mandated waiting‑time fees

More than seventy per cent of Italy’s road hauliers are not receiving the waiting‑time compensation guaranteed by law, new monitoring by the transport association Assotir shows. The survey, covering operators across all regions, highlights how rarely…

Nixon ousted

ONE appoints Barrelet as CEO in leadership overhaul

Ocean Network Express is reshaping its leadership as the carrier prepares for its next phase of expansion. Till Ole Barrelet will take over as CEO on 1 July, succeeding Jeremy Nixon, who has led ONE since its formation in 2018 and will move into an…

Takeover

Regulator signs off Cosco acquisition of German Hinterland specialist Zippel

China’s state-owned carrier Cosco has been authorised to take an eighty per cent stake in Hamburg forwarder Konrad Zippel after Germany’s Federal Cartel Office found no competition concerns. President Andreas Mundt said foreign‑trade and security…