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CH Robinson to purchase RXO in multi-billion dollar deal

Blockbuster tie up on the cards here: CH Robinson has agreed to buy RXO in a deal with an "implied value" of $5.8bn, with shareholders pocketing a healthy 29% premium in the process. Combining CH Robinson's global forwarding and multimodal network with RXO's North American truck brokerage operation and expedited and last-mile businesses, the buyer is hoping the merger will deliver $300m in annual savings - and that it will happen within two years of the deal closing. Subject to regulatory and shareholder approval - which will see CH Robinson taking on additional debt and putting share buybacks on hold as it pays down the deal cost - it is all expected to be wrapped up before H2 next year.

Growing trade driving congestion and delays at West African ports

Strong volume growth along the West African coast growth is proving the double-edged sword some had warned of, with many of the ports that had been reaping rewards now subject to heavy and intensifying congestion. Ghana, Guinea, and Sierra Leone are among the countries most affected by delays sprouting up along the coast, all three rapidly approaching similar volumes to those handled in the entirety of 2025. Forwarders active on West African trades told The Loadstar they too had observed the congestion hobbling many of the ports' ability to function effectively, one expressing concern over looming temperature-controlled cargo due for delivery. A forwarder with volumes destined for Temam in Ghanam told The Loadstar: "CMA CGM has announced a congestion charge of $400 per teu for these shipments. This means an additional cost of $800 for each 40ft refrigerated container." Hapag-Lloyd has also announced a $250 surcharge on reefer shipments destined for Tema, which became applicable for shipments sailing as of yesterday, adding to the worries of cargo owners. The carrier has warned customers to expect delays of 10 days for discharging and loading goods, although Portcast claims that the situation at the Ghanian port may be improving, average waits having fallen below the four-day average, an improvement on last week. Instead, it singles Conakry and Freetown as the ports to be concerned about, congestion delays at both exceeding 10 days - a rapid deterioration at the Sierra Leone capital's gateway saw delays increase by four days, week on week, and by more than a day at Conakry. Only a month ago, Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority director general Yankuba Askia Bio claimed a "decongestion" effort, led by multiple stakeholders, had succeeded, resulting in Freetown being removed from a list of congested African gateways. Efforts at Conakry to mitigate the worst of the congestion have seen trucks operating around the clock at Guinea's main gateway to keep cargo flowing, and ensure the backlog does not worsen. While at Tema, the Ghana Shippers' Authority said last month it was working with the port authority, shipping lines, and terminal operators to increase vessel calls to accelerate empty-container evacuation. But there is growing recognition across the sector that against a backdrop of surging volume growth, the ports are delaying what will inevitably be needed if they are to avoid a catastrophic collapse in supply chains - investment and expansion in infrastructure.

CMA CGM Air Cargo adds allotment booking on CargoAi

CMA CGM Air Cargo has continued the rollout of its capacity on the CargoAi booking platform with the introduction of allotment booking functionality. The move means that CMA CGM Air Cargo's freight forwarder customers will be able to manage recurring capacity agreements including allotments, block space agreements (BSAs), pre-bookings and other regular capacity agreements. The allotment booking capability is available through CargoAi's CargoMart booking service. CMA CGM Air Cargo and forwarders will also have access to allotment reporting that gives unprecedented visibility on allocation utilisation and price competitiveness. CargoAi founder and chief executive Matt Petot said: "Allotment and recurring booking automation are some of the clearest examples of how digitisation removes friction from air cargo without changing the commercial agreements airlines and forwarders already have in place. "With CMA CGM Air Cargo now live, we are giving their forwarder partners a faster and more transparent way to manage guaranteed capacity, while reducing repetitive operational workload for both sides month after month, but more importantly, full reporting capabilities so they can transparently manage their allocation with airlines." CMA CGM first placed its capacity on CargoAi back in early 2025 as it added booking capability across three online platforms. It has also been a year of development for CargoAi. In June, the platform allowed its use through AI platforms, including ChatCGP, Copilot and Claude as the company responds to changing customer behaviour. CargoAi said that it had integrated its offering into AI platforms as it had in recent months observed a rapid shift in how forwarders and airline customers approach their day-to-day operations, with the centre of gravity increasingly moving from core transport management system and cargo management system environments toward AI interfaces.