Newsletters

Deutsche Bahn is considering significant downsizing at its freight subsidiary DB Cargo, including the potential cancellation of its single wagonload (SWL) business. This segment, which involves the transport of individual wagons rather than full trains, has long been a financial burden. According to German media outlet Handelsblatt, internal sources confirm that consultants are working on scenarios to either drastically scale down or entirely shut down the SWL operations. One of the options under review reportedly includes an 80% reduction in the service, which could lead to halving the company’s workforce.

The latest study on European road freight rates by Upply, Ti, and IRU, published on 5 August, reveals a notable convergence of contract and spot rate indexes at 132.2 in the second quarter of 2025. During this period, the spot rate index experienced a decline of 2.2 points quarter-on-quarter, while the contract rate index saw a modest increase of 1.2 points over the same period.

As of 1 August 2025, the EU - Canada Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) for Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programmes has officially entered into force. The MRA, endorsed by the EU–Canada Joint Customs Cooperation Committee (JCCC), provides for the mutual recognition of the EU’s AEO programme and Canada’s Partners in Protection (PIP) initiative. By recognising each other’s trusted trader schemes, the EU and Canada aim to simplify customs processes, reinforce supply chain security, and foster trade resilience between the two economies.

On 27 July European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced an agreement between the European Union and the United States on tariffs and trade. In a statement published by the European Commission, President von der Leyen highlighted that the deal brings “certainty in uncertain times”, offering much-needed stability and predictability for businesses and citizens on both sides of the Atlantic.

On 30 July, the European Commission adopted a recommendation on voluntary sustainability reporting for small and medium-sized companies (SMEs). This voluntary standard provides a streamlined and accessible framework to help companies currently not covered by the Corporate Sustainability reporting Directive (CSRD) to respond to specific requests for sustainability information from large financial institutions and companies.

On 26 June, the Parliament and Council On 17 July, the World Customs Organization (WCO) released a major report entitled “Infiltration of Maritime Cargo Supply Chains: Organized Crime, Cocaine and the Internal Conspirators.” The report, produced under the WCO/Australian Border Force Supply Chain Integrity Project, provides an alarming and detailed analysis of 2,600 drug seizures globally, underscoring the scale and sophistication of criminal infiltration in maritime logistics.

Sea-Intelligence has published latest data on global liner performance, revealing a continued upward trend in schedule reliability for the container shipping industry. The Global Liner Performance (GLP) report, covering data through June 2025, shows that schedule reliability improved by 1.6 percentage points month-on-month (M/M), reaching 67.4%, the highest level recorded since November 2023.

On 7 August, the European Commission opened a call for evidence on the future Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP). The plan, expected for publication in Q3 2024, aims to scale and prioritise investments for decarbonising all EU transport modes, supporting the RefuelEU Aviation and FuelEU Maritime initiatives.

On 5 August, the European Commission launched a public consultation to evaluate the effectiveness of three key pieces of EU legislation that govern access to and the pricing of services at airports. The aim is to assess whether the current legislative framework, which includes the Slot Regulation, the Groundhandling Directive, and the Airport Charges Directive, remains effective in achieving its objectives amidst changing market conditions and evolving environmental priorities.