Ocean freight faces a 2027 imbalance. Plan your stock now.

BIMCO projects global container fleet capacity to grow around 9 percent in 2027 while cargo demand grows by 0.5 to 4.5 percent, reported by Global Trade Magazine on 24 September 2026. The outcome depends partly on whether Red Sea and Suez routing returns to normal, which affects EU-bound lanes.
Shipping schedules are the least reliable they have been since 2022

Container shipping schedule reliability has fallen to its lowest level since 2022, according to DP World, reported by The Loadstar on 25 September 2026. DP World calls unreliability a persistent new normal rather than a temporary disruption, which changes how you plan inventory cover in Europe.
Royal Mail is staffing up for peak. Are you?

Royal Mail is recruiting approximately 22,000 seasonal staff ahead of the 2026 Christmas peak parcel period, reported by Parcel and Postal Technology International on 25 September 2026. That hiring scale is a useful read on expected UK volume, and a prompt to confirm your own peak plans.
EU Air Freight Down 14% in July: IATA Data Points to a Structural Shift

EU air freight volumes fell 14% in July 2026 as the new customs levy and Middle East airspace disruption combine to keep China-Europe rates elevated even as demand drops. Rail freight is gaining share as a cost alternative.
UK Bill Could Force Your 3PL to Replace Its Technology

The UK Cyber Security and Resilience Bill completed its Commons passage on 16 June 2026 and is at House of Lords committee stage. It would let ministers order transport and logistics operators to remove technology from vendors judged a national security risk, which puts despatch in someone else’s hands.
Air Cargo Demand Up 6% Narrows Your Recovery Options

Global air cargo demand rose 6 per cent year on year in August 2026 on Xeneta data. Less slack in the market makes air freight more expensive exactly when it is needed to recover a late inbound shipment, and the figure is global demand rather than a rate on any single lane.
UK Fuel Duty Rise Would Cost GBP 2,325 per Lorry a Year

UK haulage bodies are lobbying against ending the temporary 5p a litre fuel duty cut ahead of the Autumn Budget on 28 October 2026. The Road Haulage Association estimates the increase at GBP 2,325 per lorry a year against margins of around 2 per cent, which puts it into UK delivery rates.
FedEx Targets the Duty Surprise That Kills Conversion

FedEx has launched Global Trade Navigator, a toolkit covering pre-shipment duty and tax research, landed-cost estimates at Shopify checkout, product classification and customs clearance tools. It cites 68 per cent of small businesses regularly seeing customers surprised by duties at delivery.
DHL Puts Freight Booking Inside an AI Sourcing Tool

DHL Group and Alibaba.com have signed a memorandum of understanding integrating DHL Global Forwarding into the Accio AI agent platform, letting smaller businesses quote, compare and book freight without leaving the sourcing platform. Import structure still needs deciding first.
Superdry Cut Delivery Costs 19% With One Checkout Fix

Superdry cut overall UK delivery costs by 19 per cent by presenting parcel lockers as a standalone checkout option. Around 20 per cent of UK delivery volume moved to lockers, and refund and claims rates fell from 2.1 per cent to 0.5 per cent.