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Shenzhen air cargo operations face delays during APEC summit

Freight forwarders are warning of delays in cargo operations from Shenzhen Airport next week due to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit taking place in the city. The summit runs from 18 to 19 November and is expected to see high-level leaders from around the world jet into the Chinese tech hub of Shenzhen. As a result, cargo operations at the airport are being restricted next week. Cargo carrier Teleport said that between 16 and 20 November, all international passenger flights operating to and from Shenzhen are prohibited from carrying cargo. It added that domestic flight capacity at Shenzhen Airport will be reduced by 80% during the APEC period to prioritise diplomatic and VIP flights, although it added that there was currently no official notice of international flight reduction for Shenzhen Airport. ANA said there were also restrictions in place for dangerous goods and perishables. The airline added that shipments will be accepted no later than 12 hours prior to the scheduled time of departure and that the collection time for imports is eight hours or more after the actual time of arrival. Sunny Worldwide Logistics said that airfreight operations in south China are expected to face "significant disruption" due to the restrictions. The logistics firm said that between 16 and 20 November, cargo flights from Shenzhen are expected to be suspended or diverted to alternative airports. Cargo acceptance on passenger flights may also be restricted, while additional security checks and transportation controls may affect cargo delivery to airport warehouses. Nearby Guangzhou airport may also experience increased cargo volumes and potential flight delays as shipments are redirected to the airport. Some restrictions are already being put in place at certain warehouses, such as a requirement for cargo to arrive within 24 hours before passenger flight departure or 36 hours before freighter departure. The logistics firm said that urgent cargo should consider cross-border trucking to Hong Kong International, while less urgent shipments should be delivered to the airport earlier, space should be booked three to four days ahead and documents should be prepared early.

Wan Hai orders 110,000 containers for its fleet of new box ships

Wan Hai Lines is ordering more than 110,000 new containers, at a cost of around $325m, as the Taiwanese liner operator expects delivery of 11 new ships next year. The company disclosed the order yesterday, after unveiling a net profit of $1.29bn for the first nine months of 2026, nearly double that reported a year ago. The new containers will support the additional capacity and replace older equipment. Some 45,800 boxes, costing $144m, will come from China International Marine Containers (CIMC), 24,200 Pan Ocean Container Supplies ($69.2m), 23,050 from Dong Fang International ($65m), and 17,000 from Singamas ($47.28m). Wan Hai will take delivery of 11 vessels in 2027, comprising 10 of 16,000 teu and one of 8,700 teu. The larger ships are expected to be deployed on Asia-South America routes, the 8,700 teu vessel could go to Asia-Mediterranean or Asia-Middle East services. The carrier, which runs standalone transpacific, Asia-Mediterranean, and Asia-South America services alongside its core intra-Asia routes, has already introduced six energy-efficient new ships this year, reducing its fleet's average age to 8.8 years. By 2030, Wan Hai expects to receive another 42 vessels, adding around 475,000 teu, as it moves towards a fleet capacity target of 1m teu, placing it in a position to overtake compatriot Yang Ming in the ranks of the top ten carriers. This quarter, Wan Hai expects intra-Asia routes to benefit from the traditional peak season, supported by holiday stockpiling and inventory replenishment ahead of the lunar new year holiday in February. Freight rates and cargo volumes are expected to increase. By contrast, deepsea routes are entering their seasonal off-peak period, with transpacific freight rates normalising from Q3 peak levels. To expand its regional network, Wan Hai plans to launch the CI8 direct service this month, connecting Haiphong, South China, and Malaysia with the West Indies. It will also strengthen services along the west coast of North America, the eastern Mediterranean, and the west coast of South America. Meanwhile, berths 79 to 81 at Kaohsiung Port's Fifth Container Terminal became fully operational this month, further expanding Wan Hai's terminal operating capacity.

Record rates mask 'dire situation' for hauliers as costs outstrip earnings

Record European road freight rates are masking a "dire situation" for hauliers, with soaring fuel costs eroding margins and operators struggling to pass increases on to shippers, according to industry bodies. The Q3 European Road Freight Rate Benchmark, published yesterday by IRU, Upply and Transport Intelligence (Ti), showed contract rates reaching a record 148.9 index points in Q3 2026, up 14.6 points year on year, while spot rates hit 147.6 points, up 12.9 points. However, IRU told The Loadstar that rising freight rates were not translating into improved profitability, with operating costs increasing substantially faster than the prices carriers could charge. In France, operating costs rose approximately 14% between January and September with contract rates increasing just 7%. By March, costs had already climbed 8%, while freight rates were still falling. "Higher freight rates are masking a dire situation for operators, as shippers try to mitigate a raise they haven't yet seen in full," IRU said. Ti said the increases were "overwhelmingly a supply-side story", driven principally by diesel rather than stronger demand. EU diesel averaged €2.05 per litre in Q3, up 32% year on year, peaking at €2.27 on 27 September. "The cost evidence is unambiguous," Ti told The Loadstar. "The CNR long-haul cost index rose 13.2% year on year in September, but strip diesel out and the increase is 1.3%. "Almost the whole cost rise is fuel, so the rate rise is largely carriers recovering a bill they have already paid." Ti added that tolls had risen 7% year on year, while semi-trailer equipment and maintenance costs increased 3.5% and 2.4%, respectively. It said contract rates had outpaced spot rates throughout Q3, suggesting some cost recovery through contract renewals, although anecdotal evidence indicated carriers were shouldering more increases in Q4. The Road Haulage Association (RHA) said UK operators were experiencing similar pressures, with more than eight in ten businesses reporting declining margins. "Fuel is about a third of the cost of running a truck, and firms are paying an extra £385 a week per vehicle. On margins of around two per cent, there is very little left to absorb that," an RHA spokesperson told The Loadstar. Its fuel survey found just one in ten operators could pass on fuel cost increases, with the remainder absorbing some or all of the additional expenditure. "On a fixed-rate contract there is no way to recover costs until the terms are renegotiated. And the fuel bill has to be paid long before the customer's invoice is," the RHA added. Meanwhile, concerns are growing that weakening haulage capacity could trigger further rate increases when demand recovers. Ti said European operator numbers were stagnating or declining in several markets, largely because fewer businesses were entering the industry rather than widespread failures. "Capacity is leaving through lack of replacement rather than mass failure, which is slower and harder to reverse," it warned. Heavy truck registrations reached approximately 60,100 in Q3, but annual growth slowed to 7% from 8.4% in June, suggesting operators were deferring fleet renewals. Driver shortages are compounding the problem, with around 502,000 European truck driver positions unfilled, according to IRU figures cited by Ti. "If demand does rebound in 2027, every route to adding capacity is slow, and with costs expected to remain high, a sharp price response is the likely result," Ti warned. IRU similarly expects rates to continue rising as carriers attempt to recover operating costs. The RHA, meanwhile, called for a 15p-per-litre fuel rebate for essential users, arguing it would provide vital relief to struggling UK hauliers.