Kalé grows in Europe with Portel acquisition

Kalé Logistics Solutions has strengthened its position in Europe with the acquisition of Spanish port community and regulatory compliance solutions provider Portel Logistics Technologies. Portel's two flagship products will add advanced regulatory and customs compliance capabilities to Kalé's existing airport and port community systems. Dedalo and Vellore support the electronic exchange of advance cargo information in accordance with Europe's Import Control System 2.0 (ICS2) standards, reducing manual customs processing, improving efficiency and simplifying compliance for freight forwarders, ports, airports and ground handlers. Vipul Jain, chairman of the Kalé Group, said: "Portel's expertise in EU regulatory mandates, combined with their strong local team and customer relationships, gives us the foundation we need to serve the European market with the depth and trust it deserves, and together, we are positioned to help the industry navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape." Furthermore, said Kalé co-founder and chief executive Amar More: "Kalé strongly believes that e-commerce and regulation will be the key trends driving the future of the industry and the acquisition of Portel is a defining step in Kale's journey to become the leading global platform for trade facilitation and logistics compliance, after our acquisition of AvLog - the e-commerce technology provider - earlier this year." Portel customers, meanwhile, will gain access to Kalé's portfolio of logistics technology solutions, including its Cargo Community Platform that facilitates the paperless exchange of data between stakeholders in the cargo value chain. Both companies anticipate new opportunities to develop their services as a result of the acquisition. Angel Ramirez, president of GTD Group which previously owned Portel, said the combination of Portel's expertise in European regulatory compliance with Kalé's global trade facilitation capabilities would deliver greater value to customers while accelerating innovation across platforms.

Carriers eye major rate hikes for July, even as port congestion strands 3.4m teu

Congestion in European and Asian ports has kept 3.4m teu of box ship capacity queued, supporting long-haul freight rates as liner operators prepare to hike rates again in July. NNR Global Logistics said in Shanghai, the world's busiest port, strong demand for solar panels and the early peak season had resulted in delays of four to five days. Schedule reliability in Singapore, the second busiest port, is "sub-optimal", due to disruptions across global shipping networks, and in Taiwan, congestion and overbooking in Taipei and Keelung ports increased as exporters front-loaded to beat the expiry of the 10% global US tariffs on 24 July. NNR said: "Cargo space remains extremely limited, with vessel waiting times extending to between three and seven days." India's Ligi Logistics said: "Space availability is becoming increasingly constrained across several export corridors. Nhava Sheva Port congestion continues worsening, with ongoing vessel bunching, rail delays, trucking shortages, terminal congestion, and yard density pressure. "Schedule reliability remains below normal industry standards, requiring additional shipment planning buffers. Carriers continue implementing short validity periods on spot quotations due to volatile market conditions." In Europe, Antwerp continues to work through accumulated backlogs, while Hamburg faces infrastructure constraints. The Kohlbrand Bridge bottleneck affects hinterland transportation, while rail access to the Altenwerder Container Terminal is still suspended. Linerlytica says in its report today that Asia-North Europe capacity remains very tight, exacerbated by Maersk Line's downsizing of its NE3/AE3 service that cut 5,000 teu in weekly capacity. The consultancy said: "Capacity in July could also be affected by more ad hoc blank sailings due to worsening port congestion across both Asian and European ports over the past week even though carriers are planning full sailing schedules for July." On Friday, the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index showed the Shanghai-North Europe rate rose 3% from the previous week, to $3,158 per teu. Linerlytica added: "The positive momentum in the container market continues with the mid-June rate hikes sticking without rollbacks in the strongest rate ascent since the Red Sea diversions started at the end of 2023. "Carriers are gearing for another major rate hike in July, with increases as high as $5,000 per 40ft on certain routes. Cargo demand is now clearly outpacing the availability of vessel slots with the peak season in full swing."

WFS awarded five-year handling contract by Geodis in Brussels

Geodis has signed a five-year contract for Worldwide Flight Services' (WFS) E-commerce & Freight Forwarder Handling (EFFH) services at Brussels Airport. SATS-owned WFS now offers its EFFH solutions at Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, Liege, Madrid, and Stockholm airports, as well as at 12 airports across France, including Paris CDG. These solutions include making freight ready-for-carriage, capturing weight and cargo measurements, and providing crating, repacking, security screening, consolidation, shipment labelling and transportation between forwarders and handling agents. Import deconsolidation, sorting, preparing shipments for customs clearance, and onward transportation by road is also covered. This latest contract extends WFS' working partnership with Geodis, which has been a customer of WFS for import and export cargo handling services at Paris CDG since 2021. Geodis has transferred all its freight consolidation and deconsolidation requirements to WFS at Brussels Airport, benefiting from a 24/7 operation for its customers, and greater flexibility in its cost and labour force structure, said WFS. The ground handler's GDP (Good Distribution Practice) certified facility for pharmaceutical shipments, offering two cool rooms with 300m² of dedicated temperature-controlled handling capabilities, is another key reason for partnering with WFS in Brussels, supporting Geodis' own strong position in the Belgian pharma logistics market. "We welcome this opportunity to extend our partnership with GEODIS to another major European cargo airport in the WFS network," said Philippe Torry, managing director Belgium at WFS. "As well as our proven handling expertise, modern facilities, and ability to support specialised products, WFS will provide GEODIS with real-time visibility and information exchange, including all operational documentation, timestamps, and images to demonstrate its high service standards are being consistently delivered, and to provide further growth opportunities with existing and new customers." Jean-Baptiste Elslander, deputy managing director at Geodis in Belgium, added: "Both teams took a hands-on approach during the implementation phase, driving a seamless and efficient transition. "WFS is offering flexible solutions and outstanding quality that meet the demands of a highly volatile and competitive market. We look forward to strengthening this partnership and achieving continued success together." In April, Kuehne+Nagel selected WFS to provide EFFH services at Frankfurt Airport.