Scan Global - making a virtue out of necessity

Highlighted here, 'more growth, more debt, more losses' was the narrative at Denmark's Scan Global only a year ago. Fast forward to first-quarter (Q1 26) numbers released last Friday (29 May), and the change in the headline story is quite noticeable. In prepared remarks, it was Scan CEO Allan Melgaard who reminded everybody that the "new phase" at Scan has a solid foundation: "Value creation through disciplined execution." It means: chasing precious basis points, accretive to key P&L metrics, that must feed through ...

My Freighter names MF Cargo as GSA in Israel

My Freighter has appointed MF Cargo as its general sales agent (GSA) in Israel as it continues to expand internationally. The Uzbekistan-based carrier said in a LinkedIn post on 31 May that MF Cargo would be responsible for cargo sales, customer support, and the development of cargo opportunities between Israel, Central Asia, Europe, China, and other destinations across its network. "My Freighter is pleased to announce the appointment of MF Cargo as its official General Sales Agent (GSA) in Israel," said the airline. "This appointment marks an important step in strengthening My Freighter's presence in the Israeli market and enhancing support for customers and partners throughout the region." The ECS Group has, since the start of the year, been rolling out its GSA services for My Freighter in several European markets. The GSA group said in April that since January, it has added operations for My Freighter in France, the Netherlands and Belgium through its Globe Air Cargo subsidiary. This support has been in line with the airline's efforts to expand its network. In March, My Freighter began operating new routes between Asia and Frankfurt Airport (FRA) as part of its network expansion plans. In January, the airline announced it would add scheduled cargo flights from Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) to Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST) in the Netherlands via its main hub at TAS. The carrier has also recently expanded its fleet of freighters. On 17 April, the airline took delivery of a Boeing 767-300BDSF, registered as UK67022. The airline's current fleet now includes nine Boeing 767 freighters, most of which are conversions, and one Boeing 757-200 freighter, which was added in March last year.

Brazil faces more uncertainty as Trump plans financial hit on shippers

Brazilian forwarders are dealing with yet more uncertainty after US regulators proposed slapping its southern neighbour with a 25% tariff, claiming it had been engaging in "multiple practices" that "are unreasonable, and burden or restrict US commerce". Among these alleged practices, according to US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer, are anti-corruption enforcement, intellectual property protection, ethanol market access, and illegal deforestation. AGL Cargo's Jackson Campos said the decision represented an "important shift in the US' strategy", noting that unlike previous political measures it focused on trade barriers, intellectual property, digital services, and market access. "The most relevant point for Brazil is that several strategic products are excluded, including beef, coffee, critical minerals, and aerospace components, reducing the immediate impact on some of its main export categories," Mr Campos told The Loadstar. "Even so, it increases uncertainty for companies exporting to the US. Depending on the final tariff, industrial sectors may face reduced competitiveness and higher costs to access the US market." The USTR's position remains a proposal and subject to further review, with a consultation process required before a final decision is made, but forwarders said it reinforced the period of adjustment and negotiation in Brazil-US trade relations. And it follows a strained relationship between President Donald Trump and his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, resulting from the former's decision to slap a 50% tariff on Brazil in retaliation for the prosecution of its former president, Jair Bolsonaro. However, the US Supreme Court ruled against the imposition of the 50% levy, back in February, as part of its wide-ranging block on the Trump administration's sweeping tariff policy, with the rate capped at 10%. Despite "several constructive meetings", President Trump directed the USTR to investigate Brazil as a Section 301, addressing unfair foreign practices affecting US commerce and allowing the imposition of tariffs for unreasonable or discriminatory acts. "I launched this Section 301 investigation at President Trump's direction to address longstanding and pervasive US concerns with certain of Brazil's trade policies and practices," said Mr Greer; the USTR will hold a hearing on the action on 6 July. "We continue to have substantial differences in resolving the issues identified in this investigation. I look forward to continuing engagement with the Brazilian government in advance of the 15 July statutory deadline for taking responsive action."