Our global freight forwarding network keeps our customers freight moving across the world.

US alleges global 'shadow transhipment network' conspiracy to evade tariffs

The White House is claiming more than 40 countries, including Singapore and Vietnam, have been complicit in transhipping Chinese-manufactured goods to evade tariffs. In a report, The Great Transhipment Scam, released on 11 August, the White House said: "The US faces a growing challenge from the illegal transhipment of goods through third countries to evade applicable tariffs and other trade remedies. "Exporters in higher-tariff jurisdictions can abuse differences in US tariff treatment across countries to route goods through lower-tariff jurisdictions before entering the American market. "Illegal transhipment may involve relabelling, repackaging, re-invoicing, minor processing, false country-of-origin claims, or other actions intended to secure tariff treatment that would not apply if the goods' true economic origin were declared." The administration claims that since 2018, between $40bn and $303bn in tariffs has been evaded as made-in-China goods were routed through a "shadow transhipment network" of countries like Singapore, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, India, those in the EU, and its neighbours, Canada and Mexico. The White House said that since Section 301 tariffs in 2018, the US trade deficit with China fell in 2019 and 2020. It said: "After their [tariffs] imposition, Chinese exporters increasingly routed goods through third countries. "Products that previously moved directly from China to the US were shipped through jurisdictions where limited assembly, finishing, repackaging, relabelling, or documentation changes could create the appearance of a different national origin. Over time, these practices contributed to the development of a global network of production hubs, logistics platforms, free-trade zones, bonded warehouses, processing corridors, and re-export centres." Singapore is the world's largest container transhipment port, while Busan, Shanghai, and Port Klang also have substantial transhipped volumes. White House trade advisor Peter Navarro told media the White House was working with US Customs and Border Protection to develop an AI-enabled "detective border" to help assess whether a shipment involved transhipped goods. Meanwhile China, the EC and Singapore have refuted the US allegations. China's embassy in Washington responded that the country was against unilateral tariffs and "suppressing Chinese businesses in the name of national security". EC spokesperson Arianna Podesta was quoted by AFP: "We have been very clear and consistent on the fact that neither our rules framework nor our regulatory autonomy are up for negotiation." Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry said it took trade compliance "seriously", and pointed out that in June 2025, Singapore Customs sent a circular to all traders and declaring agents to stress the importance of accurate "country/region of origin" declarations.

Growing pushback against more liner consolidation a threat to Hapag-Zim deal

Forwarders have backed the objections of Brazilian authorities and Israeli legislators in questioning the looming Hapag-Lloyd acquisition of Zim, seeking pushback against more consolidation within liner shipping. Having seen its board and shareholders vote overwhelmingly (97.3%) in favour of the sale to the German half of the Gemini Cooperation in May, Zim has seen growing opposition to the $4.5bn deal - authorities in Brazil the latest to step in. Brazil's Administrative Council for Economic Defense (Cade) will conduct a "full form review" of the deal after determining that the combined market share on certain routes would be in breach of its rules on market monopolisation. Alphaliner noted: "The full review was triggered by the overlapping operations on three key long haul routes: West Coast South America-East Coast South America; Central America and Caribbean-East Coast South America; and North America-East Coast South America." Consequently, any hopes of seeing the acquisition signed off imminently are in doubt, with Cade able to pursue its review up to 31 March 2027 - and there are reports that the Israeli government will also oppose the transaction, which could prove terminal. This is because of the so-called "golden share" the Israel state holds over Zim, seeing the carrier as "an asset of strategic national importance", which empowers the government to veto a sale of any stock exceeding a 24% share. But efforts to bring Tel Aviv on board have been relentless, Hapag-Lloyd bringing Israeli financial institution, FIMI Opportunity Funds, in on the deal and revising proposals to include a carve-out for a debt-free 'new Zim' that would operate 16 Israel-flagged ships. Revisions also include guarantees on jobs that would be supported by creation of a regional Israel division, staffed by several hundred people, and a technology centre based in domestically, employing some 300. Hapag-Lloyd CEO Rolf Habben Jansen remains bullish, noting that while "there's all kinds of stuff" about the deal in the press, the team were continuing to "work diligently with the various authorities that we need to work with". He added that "we still expect to close the transaction somewhere towards the end of the year", despite reports that five of the eight Israel authorities required to pass the deal were opposed to it - Agriculture, Defence, Economy, Finance, and Shipping and Ports. Forwarders seemingly share their scepticism, venting their frustration to The Loadstar over the ongoing consolidation of the liner shipping sector - one active in the trades noting: "These deals are bad news for customers, plain and simple."

Delta Cargo places capacity on CargoAi's digital booking platform

Delta Cargo has added its capacity on CargoAi's digital booking platform to provide freight forwarders access to rates and bookings across 15 markets. Through this integration, freight forwarders will gain access to Delta Cargo's capacity and pricing -- via both the CargoAi marketplace and direct connections to major TMS (Transport Management Systems). At launch, freight forwarders will be able to access general cargo and express products, including lithium battery shipments, across Delta Cargo's network. The initial rollout will cover 15 markets: the US, including domestic services, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Spain, the UK, Italy, Ireland, Germany, Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium, Greece, Denmark, Sweden and Malta. Customers will also benefit from allotment booking capabilities and support for Built-Up Pallets (BUP), providing greater booking flexibility and helping freight forwarders manage their capacity requirements more efficiently, said CargoAi. The integration will also enable Delta Cargo to benefit from CargoAi's interline module, facilitating faster and more transparent collaboration with airline partners through digital interline bookings and shared capacity management. "Digital innovation is a key pillar of Delta Cargo's strategy," said Peter Penseel, president of Delta Cargo. "Partnering with CargoAi allows us to further enhance the digital booking experience for freight forwarders by providing greater visibility, efficiency, and seamless access to our global network. "This collaboration supports our commitment to delivering reliable, customer-focused cargo solutions while continuing to modernise the way our customers interact with Delta Cargo." "We are proud to welcome Delta Cargo to the CargoAi ecosystem," added Matthieu Petot, chief executive of CargoAi. "This partnership highlights Delta Cargo's vision to drive digital excellence while giving freight forwarders greater access and control through real-time booking and data. Together, we are simplifying the booking experience while strengthening Delta Cargo's global reach and visibility." CargoAi reported last month that its customer base has expanded to 31,900 users across 158 countries with more large, global freight forwarders now using its technology.