Further restrictions at the Panama Canal are set to put additional pressure on container shipping capacity, with reduced vessel draughts and fewer daily transits expected during September and October. From 2 September, the maximum permitted draught for Neopanamax vessels will fall to 14.63 metres, before reducing again to 14.48 metres from 1 October. Daily canal transits are also expected to reduce from 36 to 34 on 3 September, and then to 32 from 15 September, although these

This month’s regional spotlight takes us to Glasgow, where the Advantage Worldwide team combines decades of logistics experience with strong local knowledge and access to our global network. Led by Regional Manager Kenneth Brodie, the Glasgow office supports customers across Scotland and beyond. Kenneth has spent 18 years with Advantage Worldwide and brings more than 40 years of experience across transport, logistics and operations. Alongside him, Heather Melrose, Senior Oper

It’s been a busy summer for Advantage Worldwide, with continued growth across the business bringing new opportunities, new locations and new people into the team. At our Regional Management meeting in Heathrow in July, managers reviewed performance across their regions, including sales development, recruitment and expectations for the remainder of 2026. As David highlighted in his blog, revenues and staff numbers continue to grow, while some of our physical locations are also

The Premier League season may already be underway, but there’s still plenty of time to join the Advantage Worldwide Fantasy Football League and get involved in the competition. We’d love more of you to take part, and with monthly prizes up for grabs, joining now still gives you plenty of chances to win throughout the season. Whether you’re already carefully planning every transfer or you simply fancy testing your football knowledge against everyone else, it’s easy to get invo

Every shipment has its own requirements, but some call for an extra level of planning, specialist knowledge and attention to detail. Two recent movements handled by Advantage Worldwide show the range of expertise involved in managing unusual and high-profile consignments. A Vespa for Ariana Grande Our team recently had the privilege of importing a Vespa for the set of Ariana Grande’s concert at The O2. With a major live event involved, there was little room for delay. The shi

The UK-India Free Trade Agreement has officially entered into force, opening up new opportunities for businesses trading between the two countries. The deal was signed on 24 July 2025 and came into effect on 15 July 2026. It’s designed to reduce tariffs, simplify customs procedures and make it easier for businesses to move goods and services between the UK and India. India has historically had some of the highest average tariffs of any G20 economy, with duties on certain prod

Identity-based cargo theft is becoming a growing concern for freight forwarders across Europe, with criminals increasingly using deception and impersonation to gain access to goods. BIFA and CLECAT, the European Association for Forwarding, Transport, Logistics and Customs Services, have been working on guidance designed to help freight forwarders strengthen their due diligence and reduce the risk of becoming victims of identity fraud and cargo theft. Unlike traditional cargo

Businesses trading with the United States are facing another change to the country’s tariff regime, following the introduction of new duties covering 60 of its largest trading partners. The new measures took effect on 24 July 2026 under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. They generally apply tariffs of 10% or 12.5%, depending on the country and product, with certain goods exempt. The countries affected account for around 99.4% of US imports and include the UK, China and me

New EU customs rules for low-value imports came into effect on 1 July 2026, changing how consignments worth up to €150 entering the EU from outside the bloc are treated. The previous customs duty exemption for many low-value goods has been removed. Under the transitional arrangements, a temporary customs duty of €3 per item now applies to qualifying low-value consignments. The measure is expected to remain in place until 1 July 2028, when goods will move to the normal customs

A succession of typhoons along China’s east coast has caused significant disruption at two of the country’s major container gateways, Shanghai and Ningbo-Zhoushan, with delays continuing to affect ocean freight schedules. The disruption began in mid-July, when Typhoon Bavi forced major closures around Shanghai from 11 to 13 July. This created substantial backlogs, with ports and carriers still working to recover when further severe weather arrived in August. Typhoon Bavi forc

Good morning, good afternoon, or indeed good evening, wherever our latest blog finds you reading our latest edition. A little late this time, for which I apologise, but it has been yet another extremely busy year as we find ourselves full steam ahead into September, with the school summer holidays here in the UK now behind us. If you recall, I mentioned back in June we were in the middle of and as we thought at the time, the only heatwave we would experience this summer.

E-commerce businesses are preparing to reshape their supply chains, as geopolitical uncertainty and ongoing disruption push resilience to the top of the agenda. New research from 3PL Fidelity Fulfilment, conducted with Opinion Matters, points to a significant restructuring of global production over the next few years. A shift in manufacturing and fulfilment The survey of 1,500 e-commerce businesses across the US, UK and Europe found two clear trends: 87% are likely to change

To gauge the health of global trade, economists once turned to GDP figures or purchasing indices. Increasingly, they look at something more immediate: the cost of moving a 40ft container from Shanghai to Rotterdam. Container rates have become one of the most timely and reliable signals available, and they merit closer attention from anyone operating in the supply chain. What rates actually measure The leading benchmarks, Drewry, Freightos and the Shanghai index, all track the

Container spot rates have risen sharply again, after carriers introduced fresh general rate increases and new FAK levels on 15 June. The result was another round of double-digit rises on the transpacific and Asia-Europe trades. Where rates stand Drewry's World Container Index put Shanghai to Rotterdam up 15% to $4,342 per 40ft, and Shanghai to Genoa up 12% to $5,756. On the transpacific, Xeneta recorded jumps of 29% to the US west coast and 25% to the east coast. Drewry's ind

Peak season has arrived early in 2026, and it's testing both ocean and air freight. With ocean capacity stretched and rates climbing, some shippers are eyeing air as an alternative. The trouble is, air space is tight too. Why the peak came early The US National Retail Federation reports that the retail import peak has landed ahead of schedule. June box imports are forecast at 2.25m teu, up 14.3% on June 2025. The main driver is front-loading, with retailers shipping early to

China has overhauled its Maritime Code for the first time in over 30 years. The revised Code took effect on 1 May 2026, and it brings real changes for shipowners, charterers and anyone with cargo moving through Chinese ports. Here's a plain-English look at the parts that matter most. Stronger protections for cargo claims Several changes make it easier to protect a claim and recover losses: A claim's limitation period can now be paused by a simple written demand, such as a let

From 1 July 2026, the EU is changing the way it treats low-value parcels arriving from outside the bloc. If you ship into Europe, here's what you need to know. The headline change is the end of a long-standing exemption. Until now, goods sent into the EU in consignments worth €150 or less have been free from customs duty. From July, that exemption disappears and a flat €3 customs duty takes its place. A few practical points: It's charged per item, not per parcel. The duty app

The Chancellor has set out a clear plan to back the technologies shaping the next era of growth, and to speed up how quickly they're adopted across the economy. The goal is ambitious: to make the UK the fastest adopter of AI in the G7. Here are the headline measures: Growth Labs: New cross-economy "sandboxing" powers will let innovations be tested in live markets, with targeted, time-limited regulatory changes and close supervision. In practice, that could mean faster access

After 40 years in the industry, Roger Berry from our Manchester office has hung up his freight gloves. Roger (left) receiving his leaving gift from Andy Taylor, Regional Manager Roger spent the last 12 of those years with AWL, and he'll be missed by everyone who worked with him. Forty years is a long career, and he leaves with a great deal of experience behind him. Now he gets to enjoy the next chapter. Roger is looking forward to spending more time with his wife Ceri and the

It's been a great start to the quarter at our newest office in Birmingham, where we're delighted to welcome Scott Showell to the team. Scott joins our National Sales team and brings over 10 years of sales experience from across the Midlands. That's a real depth of local knowledge, and it means he understands the businesses in the region, the challenges they face, and what good logistics support actually looks like on the ground. His arrival is part of our continued growth, an