OEGSTGEEST, Netherlands: September 03, 2019. The Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) reports supply chain product theft in the Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) region was a record €55 million in the first six months (H1) of 2019.
After collating data from its Incident Information Service (IIS) on 3,981 cargo crimes in 2018, TAPA EMEA says H1 thefts had risen 5.1 percent to 4,198 by June 30, 2019.
“While these figures should set alarm bells ringing for manufacturers and the cargo industry, they are still only a fraction of the full impact of freight losses in the region,” declared recently elected TAPA EMEA president and CEO Thorsten Neumann (pictured). “Less than 30 percent of the losses in Q2/19 provided any financial data and, even more significantly, it is important to remember that we can only share intelligence on the thefts reported to our IIS database.
In Q2 2019 the top 10 countries for recorded losses – France, Germany, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Spain, Russia, South Africa, Belgium, Romania and Italy – accounted for 91.8 percent of all incidents added to the IIS database.
The highest value loss in the quarter involved the theft of €10 million in cash from the cargo hold of an aircraft at Tirana airport, Albania on April 09. Between April and June, 24 losses with a value exceeding €100,000 contributed to an overall recorded loss of €21,048,706 from criminal attacks in 30 EMEA countries.
“The vast majority of crimes still are not being reported to us but we, and other associations we are engaged with, estimate the true cost of loss to be billions of euros every year in our region,” added Neumann.
As well as incidents across Europe and Scandinavia, TAPA’s IIS recorded Q2 losses from trucks and warehouses in the UAE, South Africa, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda and Morocco as the number of reported crimes grew 167 percent year-on-year to 1,485.
Despite the increase in recorded crimes ,TAPA says it has gained strong support from police authorities in France and Germany: “We are especially appreciative of the trust and proactive support given to us by French and German law enforcement agencies to build our public-private partnerships and support our shared goals of preventing cargo crimes,” explained Neumann.
“In the first half of 2019, we recorded intelligence on over 2,000 attacks on supply chains in France and Germany compared to just 68 in the same period of last year as a result of this support. This is vital intelligence for our members and has been added to the data we receive from other police forces in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden and elsewhere in EMEA. Overall, we now have a database of over 30,000 cargo crimes in EMEA that our members can use to support their in-house security programmes,” he added.
Founded in 1997, TAPA’s membership in EMEA consists of nearly 600 of the world’s biggest manufacturers from industries such as the tobacco, food and drink, clothing & footwear, cosmetics and hygiene, pharmaceutical, automotive, technology, electronics, and furniture and household appliance sectors, as well as logistics service providers, law enforcement agencies, insurers and other security stakeholders.
GENEVA: August 16, 2019. IATA reports a decline in seasonally-adjusted freight tonne kilometres (FTKs) for June after three consecutive monthly increases. The airline association says the fall is the result of additional tariff rises in Trump’s ongoing US-China trade war and a subsequent slowdown in global economic growth.
The gap between passenger and freight load factors – and the relative fortunes of the passenger and cargo businesses - further widened in June.
Despite a modest decline from a record high level in May, the industry-wide seasonally adjusted (SA) passenger load factor remained close to record high levels at 82.9 percent.
By contrast, the SA freight load factor fell significantly further to 45.8 percent, some 3.5 percentage points lower than the same period a year ago.
Available FTKs have followed a stable trend in the last six months as airlines adjusted capacity in response to weaker demand. This resulted in overall freight capacity growth of 2.6 percent compared to 4.4 percent in 2018, according to IATA data.
For the first half of 2019 the industry took delivery of 641 aircraft compared to 820 last year, and an average of 748 units between 2013 and 2018.
“We expect freight outlook to be fragile and our latest Business Confidence Survey also confirms that as the expectations of further deterioration more than doubled compared to [the] April survey,” said IATA.
Pictured: Bucking the trend this month is Vietnam Airlines that took delivery of the first of eight Air Lease Corporation B787-10 aircraft from Boeing’s assembly plant near Charleston, South Carolina.
ROME: August 13, 2019. The Helsinki Port System and the Southern Finland Port of Hanko (pictured) have joined the Logistic Association of Sustainable Intermodality (ALIS).
Begun in 2016, ALIS promotes intermodal European transport via 1,430 member companies operating 106,000 vehicles producing €22.5 billion a year in revenue.
“Our associates [have developed] important business in the Baltic area by investing enormous resources in the sustainability of freight and passenger transport systems,” explained Grimaldi Group director and ALIS chairman Guido Grimaldi.
“Therefore cooperation with the Port of Helsinki, the Port of Hanko and the entire Finnish intermodal system was a duty. For this reason we presented the objectives of our association to the CEO of the Port of Helsinki, Ville Haapasaari, and the CEO of the Port of Hanko, Anders Ahlvik.
“I believe that the growth and internationalisation of our companies must be encouraged with great determination and, to do so, we must take courageous and strategic steps,” continued Grimaldi.
ALIS has four main goals: the internationalisation of transport and logistics companies, the territorial continuity and uniformity of the European market, the development of less advantaged regions and the reduction of CO2 emissions.
"I am very proud of the growth of ALIS and its network. And I'm even more pleased that our daily commitment produces benefits not only in Italy but also in the rest of Europe,” he added.
MIAMI/LUXEMBOURG: June 18, 2019. The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) is to define and deliver a Sustainability Programme for the air cargo industry supported by a partnership with CHAMP Cargosystems.
One of the highlights of the project is launching a yearly Air Cargo Sustainability Award, beginning at TIACA’s Executive Summit (ES) later this year. The main objective is to generate ideas and appreciate and stimulate Sustainability initiatives in the air cargo sector.
TIACA and CHAMP will work with members, partners, and industry representatives to establish a common vision on Sustainability.
“Sustainable development means being able to meet the business needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to find solutions to their own commercial challenges,” declared Steven Polmans, incoming TIACA chairman and director Cargo and Logistics at Brussels Airport Company
“The development of long-term strategies and investment to achieve a sustainable industry is key to guaranteeing the future of air cargo and TIACA, as the only organisation representing all sectors of the supply chain, is in a unique position to drive that development,” he continued.
A Sustainability Committee will be created by TIACA to act as a working group to build the programme and monitor delivery of the initiatives, including at least one panel discussion or presentation focused on Sustainability at each of its events.
“CHAMP Cargosystems is extremely pleased to establish this Sustainability initiative in partnership with TIACA,” said CEO Arnaud Lambert. “Our commitment stands to jointly create a programme that will have a positive global outcome − first for society and then for business.
“All this can only be done in synergetic collaboration with all industry players. Ultimately, each of us is responsible for tomorrow’s world and we are accountable for the future state of the Earth − not only for us, but also for those who will inherit it.”
GENEVA: December 05, 2018 IATA says its member airlines reported an overall 3.1 percent rise in airfreight demand in October 2018 year-on-year (YoY). This was up from a 29-month low of 2.5 percent in the previous month.
Capacity outstripped demand for the eight month in a row rising 5.4 percent in October.
Based on measuring the amount of kilos carried over the most direct route between origin and destination (DTKs), Amsterdam-based analytics company WorldACD says October showed a small YoY growth of 2.0 percent worldwide. Air cargo yield rose to US$1.99, 7.0 percent higher than in October 2017 as load factors fell 1.3 percent YoY.
IATA says the overall volume increase reflects the expansions of international e-commerce and an upturn in the global investment cycle even as orders fell in all major exporting countries in October, there were longer supplier delivery times in Asia and Europe, and consumer confidence weakened compared to very high levels at the beginning of 2018.
“Cargo is a tough business, but we can be cautiously optimistic as we approach the end of 2018. Slow but steady growth continues despite trade tensions,” declared IATA director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac. “The growth of e-commerce is more than making up for sluggishness in more traditional markets. And yields are strengthening in the traditionally busy fourth quarter. We must be conscious of the economic headwinds, but the industry looks set to bring the year to a close on a positive note,” he added.
With continued speculation surrounding ‘Tariff Man’ Trump’s trade war with China – currently on hold for 90 days and conveniently including Western and Asian holiday periods – WorldACD says September China to USA volumes rose 2.1 percent YoY, while USA to China traffic increased just 0.7 percent. However in October China to USA airfreight shipments were up by 4.5 percent while USA to China down volumes fell by the same percentage.
Combining the two months’ traffic in both directions, the company notes a YoY growth of 1.9 percent, well above the world average of 0.9 percent for the period. “More likely a case of US businesses stocking up before tariffs really start to bite” [on the US consumer].
AMSTERDAM: June 03, 2019. Nicola Caristo, Pharma & Business Development manager – Auditing & Certification Manager for Alha Group, is the new Cool Chain Association (CCA) secretary general.
Caristo has worked in a variety of roles during a 22-year career for the Alha Group, one of Italy’s leading air cargo logistics providers.
He is also one of the 25 members of the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA’s) Time and Temperature Working Group, which develops and maintains standards for the transportation of healthcare goods.
“I was keen to be involved as the Cool Chain Association already benefits from high visibility within the cargo industry. This means we can be influential when trying to reach the goal of establishing best practice in the transportation of pharma and perishables,” said Caristo.
Based at Milan Malpensa Airport, Caristo takes over from Edwin Kalischnig, CEO of Xtreme Technologies who has served as CCA secretary general for the past seven years.
“We would like to thank Edwin for his tireless service and his energy and enthusiasm in helping us support our members,” said Stavros Evangelakakis, CCA chairman and Global Product manager Healthcare and Perishables, Cargolux.
CCA pictured left to right: Fons Arents, CEO, Fresh Partners BV; Eric Mauroux, Director Verticals, Global Head of Perishables Air France-KLM and MartinAir Cargo; Elianne Kok, Account Manager, Trip & Co; Vijan Chetty, General Manager Coastal, PPECB; Nicola Caristo, Pharma & Business Development Manager - Auditing and Certification Manager, Alha Group and new Secretary General of the CCA; Edwin Kalischnig, CEO of Xtreme Technologies; Gerton Hulsman, Managing Director, Düsseldorf Airport Cargo; Stavros Evangelakakis, Chairman CCA and Global Product Manager Healthcare and Perishables, Cargolux; Puck Arents, Exporter, Fresh Partners; Fabrizio Iacobacci, Head of Pharma Business Development at Bcube Air Cargo s.p.a.
BALI, Indonesia. October 30, 2018. A global commitment to eradicate plastic waste and pollution at source has been signed by 290 organisations including the world’s largest packaging producers, brands, retailers and recyclers, as well as governments and NGOs.
The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in collaboration with UN Environment, was officially unveiled at the Our Ocean Conference in Bali this week.
Signatories include companies representing 20 percent of all plastic packaging produced globally including Danone, H&M, L’Oréal, Mars Incorporated, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and Unilever plus major packaging producer Amcor and plastics producer Novamont.
More than 15 financial institutions with over US$2.5 trillion in assets under management have endorsed the Global Commitment and over US$200 million has been pledged by five venture capital funds to create a circular economy for plastic.
The initiative is also supported by the World Wide Fund for Nature and the CEO-led Consumer Goods Forum, representing 400 retailers and manufacturers from 70 countries plus 40 universities, institutions and academics.
The Global Commitment aims to create "a new normal" for plastic packaging by moving from single-use to reuse packaging models; ensure 100 percent of plastic packaging can be easily and safely reused, recycled, composted or remade into new packaging or products by 2025.
Founder of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Dame Ellen MacArthur said: “We know that cleaning up plastics from our beaches and oceans is vital, but this does not stop the tide of plastic entering the oceans each year. We need to move upstream to the source of the flow.
“This is just one step on what will be a challenging journey, but one which can lead to huge benefits for society, the economy and the environment. I encourage all businesses and governments to go further and embark on a race to the top in the creation of a circular economy for plastic. One in which this material never becomes waste or pollution," she added.
According to recent data, eight million tons of plastic are dumped into the world’s oceans every year and there are currently 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that covers 1.6 million square kilometres - three times the size of France.
Cost to the marine environment is conservatively estimated at US$13 billion a year. The top five plastic polluting countries are China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.
(Pictured: 'Ocean Force One', a former military C130 converted into a research platform to conduct aerial surveys of the garbage patch.)
MIAMI: April 08, 2019: Bertrand Schmoll, chairman of the ECS Group, has been elected to the Board of The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA). It is the first GSSA to be so represented.
“TIACA is the only organisation representing all sectors of the supply chain and it is important that all voices are heard on the Board,” said Sebastiaan Scholte, outgoing TIACA chairman and CEO of Jan de Rijk Logistics. “As we represent all of the air cargo supply chain, it is great to have such a high profile GSSA on board.”
Since joining the ECS Group in 2000, Schmoll has positioned the company as a global market leader as well as helping the General Sales and Service Agent (GSSA) sector to develop.
“An organization such as TIACA is the glue that holds us all together and allows us to move forward together despite our sometimes divergent interests,” he said. “Thanks to the remarkable work undertaken by TIACA led by Sebastiaan Scholte, vice chairman Steven Polmans and secretary general Vladimir Zubkov, our practices are being modernized and airfreight is becoming more appealing.
“As such, it is a real honour for me to have been appointed to the TIACA Board of directors, with whom I share the desire to bring efficiency, modernisation and unity to the industry,” he added.
DUNKERQUE: October 05, 2018. Norlink Ports, an association of 25 ports and inland gateways in the northern Hauts-de-France region, is planning measures to reduce the commercial impact of Britain leaving the European Union without a trade agreement.
The move follows a rejection of a Brexit idea that would have given preference to Benelux ports in cross-Channel trade rather than those of northern Franc, according to Norlink.
This week French minister for Action & Public Accounts Gerald Darmanin announced his government would set up a new Customs office in Calais which, together with Dunkerque, is expected to be staffed by 200 Customs personnel to manage any clearance delays of truck traffic on ferries to and from the UK.
'We prefer to consider the worst scenario to be certain to ensure fluidity,” commented Stéphane Raison, Dunkerque-Port chief executive. Some 70 percent of trade to and from Great Britain is by road, crossing the strait either by sea to Calais or Dunkerque or by the Tunnel.”
“This is why the ports have put in place a refurbishment infrastructure, especially in terms of parking, sheds, buildings to accommodate the new control services,” Raison added.
Norlink Ports says it will continue to broadcast its plans to customers in order to ensure a post-Brexit success with the goal of making the group “the port and logistics hub of North-West Europe”.
Association president Bruno Fontaine declared: “We are thinking about the formation of companies responsible for the transit of goods and the establishment of the Cargo Community System (CCS) for the ports of Hauts-de-France and [French] Customs.”
Norlink Ports promote the logistics facilities of four sea ports, Eurotunnel/Getlink and 20 inland ports in the Hauts-de-France region.
KATOWICE, Poland: December 10, 2018. As the Trump Administration, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait refuse to fully endorse a UN report to keep global warming below 1.5 Celsius, 415 investors managing assets worth US$32 trillion have called on the four oil producers to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and move to a low-carbon economy.
Among specific policies, the members of the Investor Agenda group want governments to phase out thermal coal power, put a meaningful price on carbon, and phase out fossil fuel subsidies.
“Despite the misguided policies of the Trump Administration, global efforts to address the very real threat climate risk presents to the economy, financial markets and investment returns are ongoing,” explained New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, responsible for the US$207 billion New York State Common Retirement Fund.
Citing data from the Powering Past Coal Alliance, the Investor Agenda says EU and OECD countries must phase out coal-fired electricity generation no later than 2030, with the rest of the world following no later than 2050. Failure to do so, says group signatory Schroders, will result in temperature rises of around 4°C and US$23 trillion of permanent global economic losses over the next 80 years.
“The reality is that the long-term nature of the challenge has, in our view, met a zombie-like response by many. This is a recipe for disaster as the impacts of climate change can be sudden, severe and catastrophic,” added Chris Newton, an executive director for IFM Investors that has US$80 billion in assets under management. “We need our infrastructure assets to continue to provide essential services to communities and economies around the world. We have a duty to our investors to act for the long term when others are clearly sidestepping the challenge.”
Launched by the UK and Canada, the Powering Past Coal Alliance now has 75 members, including 28 national governments, nine US states and 28 corporations and organisations.
In a related move, the Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI) has launched the Ship Recycling Transparency Initiative (SRTI), an online platform to disclose ship-recycling data.
Last year 835 ships were recycled out of a world fleet of 50,000. Despite the known risks, there is no global regulation currently in force.
“We are really proud to be launching the SRTI site this week,” said SSI co-chair Stephanie Draper. “The SRTI is an opportunity for shipowners, cargo owners, investors and others to collectively demand transparency and through that better standards. We think that the industry can lead by working across the supply chain to change itself and it is great to be shaping this positive example of that.”
SRTI signatories include The China Navigation Company, Hapag-Lloyd, A.P. Moeller-Maersk, NORDEN, Stolt Tankers and Wallenius Wilhelmsen; financial stakeholders GES, Nykredit and Standard Chartered Bank; classification society Lloyd’s Register; and sustainability non-profit Forum for the Future.
SAN FRANCISCO: September 26, 2018. FedEx has joined Hyperledger, an open source collaboration of 270 members to advance cross-industry blockchain technologies.
"We believe that blockchain has big implications in supply chain, transportation and logistics," said Kevin Humphries, senior vice president IT FedEx Services. "We are excited for the opportunity to collaborate with the Hyperledger community as we continue to explore the applications and help set the standards for wide-scale blockchain adoption in our industry and others."
Hosted by The Linux Foundation, Hyperledger includes 10 business blockchain and distributed ledger technologies that enable organizations to build industry-specific applications, platforms and hardware systems to support their individual business transactions by creating open source distributed ledger frameworks and code bases.
"Our community ranges from technology giants and industry leaders to start-ups, service providers and academics," noted Hyperledger executive director Brian Behlendorf. "We are gaining traction around the world in market segments from finance to healthcare and government to logistics."
In addition to FedEx, new community members this month include BetaBlocks, Blockchain Educators, Cardstack, Constellation Labs, Elemential Labs, Honeywell International, KoreConX, Northstar Venture Technologies, Peer Ledger, Syncsort and Wanchain.
