Industry News
Ian Matheson , from Impress Communications, reviews some recent news that might impact on Members’ business. Don’t miss Ian’s weekly news round up on BIFAlink TV, which can be seen on our You Tube channel. Subscribe by scanning the QR code.
Silvertown Tunnel opens to cut London congestion
parcels from China, and other countries also looking to implement restrictions. IN BUSINESS DSV said in a press release on 15 April that it had fulfilled all closing conditions for its acquisition of Germany’s DB Schenker. Having received approval from the European Commission for the deal, the applicable waiting period in the USA has expired and the parties are now able to complete the transaction. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has extended its deadline for a decision on GXO’s takeover of Wincanton by a further two months to 25 June 2025. However, it aims to complete the inquiry as soon as possible and in advance of this date. In a competitive market where the promise of profitable new business is alluring, TT Club has issued a warning to freight forwarders and logistics operators to beware of fraudulent customers offering lucrative loads, as it also highlighted the dangers of granting extended credit. As part of its growth strategy and to counter the current instability in trade, the UK government has announced additional support for businesses through a £20 billion increase in government-backed financing of UK Export Finance (UKEF). Small businesses will also be able to access loans of up to £2 million through the British Business Bank’s Growth Guarantee Scheme. ACROSS THE BORDERS Following a recent surge in requests to provide evidence relating to UK preferential origin statements made on the commercial documentation, it has become apparent that EU Customs authorities are now starting to enforce Article 61(1) of UK-EU Trade agreement.
OVERLAND The Silvertown Tunnel opened on 7 April 2025, linking Silvertown in east London to the Greenwich Peninsula. It will reduce congestion at, and provide an alternative crossing to, the Blackwall Tunnel. The cost for a crossing in an HGV is £10 at peak times and £5 at off-peak times. ON THE OCEAN BIMCO, the world’s largest shipping association and one of the primary providers of standardised contracts and charter party agreements used in the maritime industry, has announced significant
updates to its War Risk Clauses for 2025 in response to escalating geopolitical challenges and ongoing maritime security concerns. The approved changes include two major updates: the VOYWAR 2025 for voyage charter parties and CONWARTIME 2025 for time charter parties. The USA’s Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has launched a “non-adjudicatory investigation into transit constraints at key maritime chokepoints, focusing on the impact of foreign laws, regulations and shipping
practices”. It has identified seven of these choke points – “the English Channel, the Malacca Strait, the Northern Sea Passage, the Singapore Strait, the Panama Canal, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal” – and is looking to answer a number of questions. Of the 50 largest container shipping lines in the world in the year 2000, only 24 are still in existence, according to Sea-Intelligence. Their collective capacity has grown from 2.5 million TEU in 2000 to 26.7 million TEU in 2025 in a market that has undergone extreme consolidation. ON THE QUAYSIDE CLdN is investing in its terminal at Killingholme on the river Humber to enhance cargo handling capabilities and cater for projected volume growth on its North Sea connections with Rotterdam and Zeebrugge. The work includes a reconfiguration of the cargo handling operations to optimise the flow of freight through the terminal and ensure an increase in handling and storage capacity for all cargo types. Work is scheduled for completion in the second half of 2026. IN THE AIR Despite increasing regulatory hurdles, e-commerce will continue to be a growth market for air cargo thanks to emerging markets and ongoing consumer demand, it was concluded at the end of a panel discussion at April’s IATA World Cargo Symposium. All panel members said they expected the market share to increase despite recent moves in the USA to end the de minimis exemption for
4 | May 2025
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