Uniserve Group have once again been announced as winners at a major awards ceremony after collecting the prize of Logistics Partner of the Year at the FTA Logistics Awards on Thursday.The trophy was collected by Uniserve HR Director, Paul Stone, at the Royal Lancaster...

Felixstowe has seen the return of previously lost carrier business recently, with Hapag Lloyd and OOCL committing their Euro Mediterranean EMX service back to the port, according to the loadstar.The EMX service is due to return on December 23rd, with the arrival of...

Uniserve Group are delighted to have been announced as winners at the Global Freight Awards last night in the category of Employer Of The Year 2018. The trophy was collected by Uniserve HR Director - Paul Stone - at the Royal Lancaster Hotel ceremony and was awarded...

Uniserve Sea Freight General Manager – Scott Baker – recently led a BIFA (British International Freight Association) delegation on a tour around DP World London Gateway Port.Scott chairs BIFA’s London East region and after being met by DP World’s UK Chief Executive –...

Although later than we experienced last year, the peak season for air freight shipments from the Far East recently got underway. The annual squeeze on capacity is currently impacting movements from Hong Kong and mainland China, which is resulting in the inevitable...

The future of UK and European trade continues to look uncertain from a political viewpoint, therefore Uniserve would like to bring your attention to an actual Brexit solution for a change.Uniserve are the UK’s leading independent logistics provider and as such have...

Logistics in Bangladesh continue to be on a go-slow following a 48-hour transport strike, which may impact upon international movements over the next few days.Transport professionals took to the streets this week to demand amendments to a recently passed Road...

Security at Shanghai's Pudong International Airport has been temporarily increased as thousands of visitors, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, are due to attend next week's China International Import Expo Fair. The exhibition is due to start on 5th November and...

Singapore have just announced a three-year plan that outlines ways for businesses to innovate their processes and collaborate with each other. The industry-led roadmap, was announced recently by Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry - Koh Poh Koon - at the...

Congestion at the UK’s two largest container ports continues to disrupt supply chains during the busiest time of year for retailers. The delays started at Felixstowe earlier in the year, when the introduction of a new operating system slowed the port down to around...

Uniserve Group companies - the Supply Chain Academy and Customs Insights - have collaborated to confirm their latest thought leadership event, which will be covering the most topical and important issue of the millennium so far – Brexit. The dinner event is being held...

With the Asian peak season upon us, now seems like the perfect time to make mention of our Sea-Air services, which are a potential multi-modal solution to some of the difficulties that can be encountered during the next few months. Supporting our suite of air and sea...

Felixstowe Port continues to suffer with significant operational delays since introducing their new IT operating system back in June. OOCL are the latest carrier to move business away from the port. They have just confirmed their NET service between Europe and Turkey...

Last week the UK’s international trade secretary – Liam Fox – suggested the odds were 60/40 against a trade agreement being in place with the EU, therefore a ‘hard Brexit’ currently seems most likely. One of the consequences of a hard Brexit will be full Customs...

It has been widely reported that the Turkish currency is in crisis, with the situation apparently deteriorating on a daily basis. The Turkish Lira is down 45% against the US Dollar since the turn of the year and their annual inflation rate is 15%. While Turkey's...

Uniserve Group company - CP Training Services - have just launched their new look training website, which provides an exciting range of supply chain training courses designed for managers and aspiring managers. CP Training Services have been the go-to supply chain...

Logistics operators are struggling to get goods into Dhaka airport due to new security measures, which have seen the number of trucks unloaded reduced by 80% recently. Currently, only one truck is allowed to unload at a time, due to increased checkups, serial...

The operating system delays at Felixstowe Port appear to be set to continue, as MAERSK Line have announced they are moving two 2M alliance loops to the Port of Liverpool for a three month period. The first two vessels diverted to Liverpool are due to arrive on the...

We reported last month that the introduction of a new operating system at Felixstowe was reported to be causing delays at the port. The most recent news appears to suggest that there is no immediate end in sight to the issues. The disruption, which is often resulting...

This week has been very exciting for Uniserve Group, as the first round of learners have started the much sought after Supply Chain Leadership Professional Degree Apprenticeship. The learners were enrolled after the standard for the degree was approved by the...

A new operating system at Felixstowe is reportedly responsible for current delays at the port, as drivers face queues to collect and deliver containers. Turnaround times on the quay have been ranging from 15 minutes up to 12 hours, despite claims on local radio of one...

Truck-drivers and haulage contractors across China staged a nationwide strike at the weekend to protest over low fees and rising fuel prices. The strike was called via an anonymous social media post, which called  for 30 million truckers across the country to refuse...

China's recent ban on plastic waste imports is beginning to impact countries around Asia, as scrap is being diverted to other destinations. The knock-on effect is particularly hitting South-east Asian countries, such as Malaysia and Vietnam. Although the general...

Truckers in Brazil have been on strike for the past week, which has resulted in major disruption to logistics within the country. While reports suggest that an agreement between hauliers and the Brazilian government was reached yesterday, which could stop the protests...

Recent fog and high winds have resulted in disruption to port operations at the Chinese ports of Shanghai, Ningbo and Qingdao. While operations are back to normal, a backlog has been caused by the adverse weather and is expected to continue for a few more days. The...

Recent suggestions have indicated that the current spat between Donald Trump and China may be having an affect on COSCO Shipping's takeover of fellow steamship line - OOCL. The Chinese state-owned shipping line had moved closer to incorporating the publicly-owned Hong...

The latest instalment of the UniOcean Lines Asian Service Directory has just been released, which includes all inbound and outbound loops and services currently available in the trade. In total, the in-depth schedule offers all 19 Asian origin loops, that are...

Uniserve Group member, the Supply Chain Academy, have confirmed two new thought leadership events this week that are focused around innovation in the supply chain. The first of these events, being held in May at the IOD's prestigious Pall Mall headquarters, is aimed...

P&O Ferries announced this week that a £150m river berth is to be built for ferries sailing between the UK and mainland Europe. The plans for the Thames berth are at Tilbury, where P&O currently run a ferry service between the port and Zeebrugge. This...

Uniserve Group are very proud to announce that the Degree Apprenticeship in supply chain leadership has now been approved by the 'Institute for Apprenticeships', and will be deliverable by the middle of this year. Uniserve, supported by the Supply Chain Academy and...

Varying reports in the media this month are suggesting a levelling out of rates may occur during 2018 for ocean freight from Asia. We have summarised some of the observations being reported. The capacity outlook had previously revealed an industry facing an...

A number of reports this month are suggesting that recent high airfreight rates from Asia could be maintained, or even continue to rise for the foreseeable future. Space has been at a premium over recent months, which has resulted in a sharp increase in costs....

Airfreight volumes to China are continuing to be driven by the demand of the e-commerce market, which was reflected in the growth of Uniserve's air export volumes during 2017. China continues to be the world's largest and fastest growing e-commerce market, with its...

ONE Line (Ocean Network Express) are gearing up for their official April launch with a recent order of new containers and a new website. The newly branded shipping line, being created by the merging of the three major Japanese carriers K-Line, NYK and MOL, have...

Uniserve customer Hunter & Gather Foods have been celebrating recently, after winning a sought after industry award in a ceremony hosted by 'Food Matters Live' at London’s ExCeL last week. Hunter & Gather won the main event, the prestigious Innovative...

The current demand for airfreight shipments from a number of key locations across Asia, including Hong Kong and mainland China, has resulted in a shortage of space, and in some cases a sharp increase in freight costs over recent weeks. An increase in demand leading up...

Uniserve Group and the Supply Chain Academy are leading the drive to change the government’s approach to supply chain apprenticeships and to enable business to spend their apprenticeship levy on a single unified methodology for developing carrier paths in our sector....

In a landmark decision last week, the US Supreme Court upheld an original ruling that ‘General Average’ should apply to costs incurred when ships are hijacked by pirates. The dispute relates to the vessel ‘Longchamp’, a petroleum gas carrier, that was taken by Somali...

The Supply Chain Academy has this week confirmed a new partnership arrangement with the University of Essex, which will include the development and delivery of a unique new programme designed for supply chain leaders and their teams. Working in partnership, the Supply...

A new £60m scheme to improve rail links from the Port of Felixstowe has been given the green light by UK Transport Minister - Chris Grayling. The multi-million pound scheme will dual part of the Felixstowe-Ipswich branch line to increase its rail freight cargo...

In conjunction with the IOD (Institute of Directors), the Supply Chain Academy hosted a major Brexit focused dinner last week, which was enthusiastically attended by numerous UK supply chain leaders and experts. Speaking at the major industry event was Uniserve Group...

Recent factory closures and stricter import controls on waste paper and plastics, driven by China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP), are believed to be having a detrimental impact on the waste product industry. China has recently been taking radical steps...

Uniserve Seafreight Director Steve Ireland, is gaining a reputation as a major trophy magnet when it comes to awards, as the Lloyds List Global Awards 'Containership Operator of the Year' was presented to APL last week. Steve was a guest at APL's table during the...

Factories throughout China are preparing for shut down during the country’s National Holiday next week, but many have already been forced to close by government officials enforcing anti-pollution regulations. Northern China has seen thousands of businesses shut down...

Renowned Brexit expert, Allie Renison from the Institute of Directors (IoD,) will speak with business leaders at a thought leadership dinner to be held at the Supply Chain Academy’s Headquarters, Upminster Court on Thursday 5 October. Allie Renison, fondly known as...

Delays from Bangladesh are set to continue with an increase in backlogs since work stopped during Eid al-Adha (The Sacrifice Feast). Congestion at Chittagong port has heightened considerably in recent months, with the average time in port for vessels rising to almost...

Recent track subsidence on German railway lines has wreaked havoc with some logistics routes from Southern Europe and Turkey into the UK. The majority of intermodal services utilise the ro-ro ferry service from Istanbul to Trieste (Italy), before transferring to a...

Please be advised that Typhoon Hato is approaching Southern China, and is expected to make landfall in Guangdong province tomorrow. The tropical cyclone has continued to intensify in the past few hours and may pass within 100 kilometers south of the global financial...

We have recently advised you about the challenges in the Bangladesh air freight market, as a result of the security restrictions imposed by European authorities. A lack of confidence in the security processes and non-compliant screening facilities continues to result...

As part of Uniserve's ongoing committment to keeping our clients fully informed of market changes, we would like to share some important industry news about Orient Overseas (International) Limited (OOIL). The company has announced that COSCO SHIPPING Holdings Co.,...

The world’s largest container shipping group, Maersk, has been hit by a major cyber attack that is affecting a number of major companies around the world, with Maersk’s IT systems down across multiple sites and business units. In a statement last week,...

  A new ruling by the European Union has led to an increase in security for all flights from Bangladesh, which has resulted in additional costs being imposed by all airlines. Security procedures for traffic moving into the EU were stepped up after recent...

Following an initial announcement in October last year, Japan’s big three carriers Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd (K Line), Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd (MOL), and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) have announced today (Wednesday 31 May) that their new joint venture...

The much anticipated UniOcean Lines Asian Service Directory has just been released, which includes all inbound and outbound loops and services currently available in the trade. In total, the in-depth schedule offers all 16 loops, that are otherwise marketed by the...

In a joint announcement today, Hapag Lloyd and UASC (United Arab Shipping Company) have confirmed that their much anticipated merger, to be one combined company, has completed. For the immediate future the two companies will continue to operate independently as they...

THI Group and UniOcean Lines reached agreement last week for THI to represent the 21st century global carrier as their official liner agent in Taiwan. UniOcean are globally served by a hand picked collective of independent liner agencies, including Uniserve...

Uniserve customer Chelsom have just received the prestigious 'Queens Award for Enterprise in International Trade', in recognition of its outstanding export achievements over the past three years. The Blackpool based decorative lighting manufacturer won Britain's most...

More than 40 participants attended a Trailblazer Group meeting last month (April 26), which was held and chaired by the Universe Group at the Supply Chain Academy in Upminster. Attendees came from a broad cross section of business, higher education and professional...

The world's busiest container port, Yangshan in China's business hub of Shanghai, is battling heavy congestion brought about by dense fog, higher-than-usual volumes and reportedly the shake-up in shipping alliances. Numerous container vessels have been delayed outside...

The Supply Chain Academy are offering a promotional opportunity to executives for May; to try one of their leading edge masterclasses at an introductory price. The Leading Complex Change Through The Supply Chain masterclass would be extremely beneficial  to...

Last week saw the chosen route for the new Thames Crossing announced, which will connect Tilbury and Gravesend, meaning journey times to Dover and mainland Europe will be reduced. The new route, which will be some years in construction,  will bring much needed relief...

Air freight market conditions from the Indian Sub Continent are currently extremely busy, with demand often exceeding the uplift capacity. As with any squeeze on capacity, carriers are having to prioritise shipments, pricing is fluctuating and the industry is...

The first rail freight service from the UK to China departed from London Gateway yesterday, commencing a 17-day, 7,500-mile journey to Eastern China. 30 containers left the Essex terminal with British produce, including whiskey, soft drinks, vitamins and...

The Supply Chain Academy has recently launched a range of courses that will be great news for northern based supply chain professionals, as they are being delivered at Leeds Trinity University. In conjunction with our ongoing partnership with Leeds Trinity, to develop...

While the merger between ocean carriers Hapag Lloyd and UASC (United Arab Shipping Company) was delayed last month, UASC have still deployed their ships as part of the THE Alliance network from April 1. The two steamship lines were originally set to merge during March...

  Uniserve Manchester received a boost this week as Virgin Atlantic launched two new US services to and from the UK's busiest Northern airport. Virgin Atlantic have become the first ever carrier to provide direct flights between Manchester and San...

The first sailings of the new carrier alliances are fast approaching as we head into a new period for ocean freight. The alliances have been much publicised but Uniserve have prepared an easy to read pdf infographic for downloading, as a reminder of which carriers are...

The world's newest and largest container ship, capable of carrying over 20,000 twenty foot containers, has been completed and will make her maiden voyage during April. The MOL Triumph was received by MOL this week and is the first of six 20,000 TEU class container...

Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department has given the green light for airlines to implement Fuel Surcharge again on airfreight shipments from the region. Air Freight fuel surcharge from Hong Kong was temporarily suspended early last year when oil prices dropped...

  The degree apprenticeship proposal, chaired by the Supply Chain Academy and Uniserve Group, was today given government approval and listed as the occupational qualification for Supply Chain & Logistics. In a letter to Paul Stone, Uniserve Group HR Director,...

Some steamship lines have reportedly been refusing new bookings for containers from UK & European ports to the Middle East and Asia recently. The squeeze on capacity has been caused by cancelled sailings around the Chinese New Year period, largely influenced by...

Post Chinese New Year is usually a time when container space is readily available on the Asian inbound market, since very little is produced in the preceding fortnight. However, this year has not followed tradition, with the major shipping lines preparing to move from...

  The Alliance consortium has announced its schedule for their westbound loops from Asia to Europe this week, with the first sailing commencing on the 3rd of April. The Alliance includes the shipping lines Hapag Lloyd, K Line, MOL, NYK and Yang Ming and will be...

CP Training, our supply chain staff development and qualifications arm, are hosting their first ever training course at Leeds Trinity University on 15th and 16th May. The two day Demand Planning course, is a first for CP delivered in Leeds, as we work with the...

Uniserve and The Supply Chain Academy were both appointed as official partners of the governments 'Exporting is Great' campaign, which is a drive to encourage and assist new, occasional and regular British exporters, to develop and grow their overseas sales. The...

A surprise new ruling from Indian authorities means that all export shipments to the country will incur their service tax with immediate effect for Ocean Freight shipments to India. The service tax itself is not new, but had previously been collected from importers...

The Port of Dover’s flagship capital building programme has received a major boost after receiving approval for a £200m package of loans from a consortium of UK & European lenders. The Dover Western Docks Revival project will create a purpose-built cargo and...

Freezing conditions in the UK’s South East are having an impact on airports and ports, with weather conditions set to continue over the next 48 hours. Dense fog has continued to disrupt London’s runways with more than 100 departures from Heathrow and London City being...

Uniserve were presented with the prestigious ‘Air Cargo Service Award 2016’ at the British International Freight Association (BIFA) awards ceremony last night. The annual event was held at The Brewery London and attended by hundreds of industry representatives,...

Container bookings from Asia to Europe are running over capacity in the build up to the Chinese New Year (CNY) period, which starts at the end of this month. The capacity problems are causing a spike in spot rates and space issues, with suggestions that some steamship...

The first ever freight train service has been launched from China to London, with the first products already on their way. The weekly service departing from Yiwu in China, with an 18 day transit to East London, is expected to help bridge the gap between the longer...

For many years table tennis balls have strangely been classified as dangerous goods by the UN, but seemingly there is good news for ping pong as we move into 2017. The balls, which are made of celluloid or similar flammable plastics, have been on the list of goods...

We are delighted to hear that that the OSCAR campaign has reached its £1.5m fundraising target for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH). This campaign is the Ocean and Shipping Community Advancing Children's Health and Research. Between us, we have...

Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) has agreed a three-year slot purchase and exchange deal with the 2M alliance, but was not granted full membership. The alliance agreement, more recently referred to as the '2M + H" cooperation will also see Maersk Line and MSC take over...

Ocean Freight rates from Asia to North Europe have continued to increase over the past week, reaching a level barely seen on the route in recent times and following an approximate jump of 20% the week before. Some carriers are reportedly still stalling 2017 contract...

The European commission has given the go ahead for Hapag Lloyd to complete the 'acquisition of/merger with' UASC (United Arab Shipping Lines). With a combined capacity of almost 1.5 million TEU, the merger will make the new company the world's fifth-largest shipping...

As we approach that time of year when we start to think about Christmas dinner, we want to talk Turkey of another kind. Reports in the Turkish trade suggest one of the oldest and largest operators, Ulusoy Logistics Group, are closing down their international trailer...

A new degree apprenticeship qualification for supply chain professionals is being developed as the first of its kind in England. On 6 April 2017, the way the government funds apprenticeships in England is changing. Some employers will be required to contribute to a...

This week THE Alliance has announced its service plans for next April. THE Alliance includes the three Japanese carriers plus Hapag Lloyd and Yang Ming. The group, with a capacity market share of 28%, will offer 5 vessel loops between Asia and Northern Europe. Last...