Did You Know That…

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…Global container volumes continue to surprise. Global container traffic up 5.8% in April.
• While US tariffs weakened North American imports, Asian exports remained strong, especially to Europe
• Trade with emerging markets surged, with shipments to the Indian subcontinent, South America, and Sub-Saharan Africa increasing sharply.
Global container trade maintained steady growth in April, following a record-breaking March, as the industry continues to defy forecasts for a weak trading year. Despite US tariff concerns, Asian exports — particularly from Southeast Asia — remained strong.

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…Now China’s ultra-cheap EVs are scaring China. They highlight many of the economy’s current problems.
China’s ability to make electric vehicles (evs) cheaply has caused angst in countries with big carmakers, prompting governments to investigate China’s subsidies for the sector and to erect trade barriers. Now, though, it is China’s own government that is worrying about how cheap its producers’ evs are. The race to the bottom shows no sign of letting up, and the industry has become emblematic of some of the broader problems facing the economy.
On May 23rd China’s biggest ev manufacturer, byd, caused shockwaves when it slashed the cost of 22 electric and hybrid models. Now the starting price of its cheapest model, the Seagull, has fallen to a mere 55,800 yuan ($7,700). The move came just two years after byd had originally unveiled the electric hatchback, at a then astonishingly low cost of 73,800 yuan. The latest move triggered official concern about how low prices could go in the world’s largest car market.
On May 31st China’s industry ministry told Xinhua, the state-run news agency, that “there are no winners in the price war, let alone a future.” The ministry vowed to curb cut-throat competition, which it said harmed investment in r&d, and could cause safety problems. On June 1st People’s Daily, the Communist Party mouthpiece, argued that low-priced, low-quality products could harm the reputation of “made-in-China” goods.

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…Global reefer trade maintains momentum.
Early 2025 saw strong reefer traffic, with a record month in March and up 7.2% through April. Reefer trade is growing, with 2.5% growth in 2024 and 2% annual increases expected through to 2029. The US-China trade war has had a minimal impact on the sector, with trading partners of key cold chain commodities subject to the lowest tariffs.

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…US trade with Canada and Mexico hit a record USD 144.8 billion in March 2025, up 8.4% year-on-year, according to statistics from the bureau of transportation (BTS).
Trucks moved goods worth USD 94.2 billion — over 60% of all surface freight. Laredo handled the largest share, with USD 30.5 billion in goods, a 12.4% increase. Key exports include semiconductors and auto parts.

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…Medlog terminal opens in Paris Bruyères.
MSC has officially opened the new Medlog Inland Terminal Paris Bruyères, a multimodal hub 40 km north of Paris. The facility links the port of Le Havre to inland European destinations by road, rail and barge.

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…Middle East shipping routes on alert amid rising tensions.

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…Lidl’s Tailwind Shipping orders five dual-fuel 8,400 TEU ships.

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… and talking about Tailwind… Tailwind expands 'Tiger Express' in Malaysia, Vietnam
From today, 17 June 2025, Tailwind Shipping Lines will expand its Tiger Express (Tex) service to include one call in Vietnam and two in Malaysia. The intra-Asia loop now connects Bangladesh, Malaysia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.

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…Vietnamese line with first US call.
The ‘Haian Zeta’, a 1,702 teu containership built in Germany in 2010 and acquired by the Vietnamese company Hai An Transport and Stevedoring (Hai An TS) in February 2025, has made the firm’s first-ever port call in the USA.

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…Asia-Europe container volumes up 17% in two years.
Despite the continuing sluggishness of most major European economies, the container trade between Asia and Europe has been showing remarkable strength for almost two years.

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…Conflict between Israel and Iran would ‘most certainly’ close the Strait of Hormuz.
The narrow chokepoint is crucial to world oil supply, with one in five barrels shipped through the strait. The US has begun the evacuation of some personnel from the region, including dependents in Bahrain and some staff at its embassy in Baghdad.

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…The world needs to understand the deep oceans better. Otherwise it cannot protect them properly.
Nice, a tourism hotspot long considered the capital of the French Riviera, has been home for the past week to more than 10,000 extra visitors. As delegates of the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC), their minds have been focused less on the setting and more on the task before them: to “accelerate action…to conserve and sustainably use the ocean”.

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…According to a report from our valued member Ntex in Sweden,
The ongoing conflict in Swedish ports continues, with notices of strike, blockade, and lockout in the ports where the Swedish Dockworkers’ Union is represented. This is a situation beyond our control, i.e., a force majeure. Ports of Sweden has received notices of strike and blockade from the Swedish Dockworkers’ Union (HF). The notice includes a strike, overtime blockade, hiring and new recruitment freeze, as well as a blockade on additional hours and shifting of regular working hours (FA-time) at the member companies of Ports of Sweden.

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…Forwarders fear for margins amid volatility and strategy uncertainty.
Forwarders are divided about how 2025 will pan out financially, with the lack of visibility preventing accurate forecasting – and new external factors to account for when ascertaining freight rates.

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…The Club World Cup will be the most global football tournament ever.
FIFA’s latest bonanza offers hope to unheralded teams around the world. On June 14th the latest reincarnation of the Club World Cup kicked off in America, featuring 32 clubs from six continents. FIFA, the event’s organisers and the game’s global governing body, touts this expanded tournament as a “massive new platform” that will yield “sportive and financial benefits”—including a pot of prize money worth $1bn.

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…Following Mr Trump’s imposition of tariffs on cars made in Mexico,
General Motors announced plans to invest $4bn in its factories in the United States, bringing home the production of some vehicles that currently takes place across the border.

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…America and China reached a tentative agreement on trade
following talks in London that were attended by senior members of both governments.

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…An Air India flight destined for London’s Gatwick airport
crashed soon after taking off from Ahmedabad. More than 240 people were on board.

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…More than 1m people began the hajj.
The annual pilgrimage to Mecca will be a testing journey this year as temperatures are expected to rise above 40 degrees Celcius.

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…Because their eyes are on the side of their heads, horses have a blind spot.
They can nevertheless still see whether a person standing in front of them is happy or in a bad mood.

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…According to an advertising slogan from manufacturer Piaggio,
The ‘Vespa’ motor scooter was originally sold as particularly suitable for women and priests, because you can ride it with your legs together.

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…This DYKT news bulletin will be published on the website as well.
Go to 👉 www.eaanetwork.com

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Have a good Friday and weekend ahead!