Italy's minister for infrastructure and transport 
On 13 February 2021, the new Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi swore in the economist, statistician and academic Enrico Giovannini as government minister for infrastructure and transport. Following Paola De Micheli, Giovannini manages a budget of EUR 32 billion. From 1997... more
Ryder on the run
For Ryder, which has been listed on the NYSE since 1960 and specialises in the vehicle sales, commercial rental and automotive supply chain business, the year 2020 was no success. Revenues shrank by 5.7% to USD 8.4 billion, falling over all four quarters. Nevertheless, operating... more
Endless summer?
Early in Q1/2021, the Hamburg-based shipping company Hapag-Lloyd expects a significant higher profit than in the same quarter last year. In a media release, the carrier spoke of a "very good start" in 2021 due to a high demand for container transports and further... more
ASL converts option
Dublin-based ASL Aviation Holdings is taking up ten options for the 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter. This follows the original agreement with Boeing for ten firm orders and ten options, announced at the Paris Air Show in 2019. They will be introduced to meet the requirements... more
Volumes to persist, says NRF
Ben Hackett, founder of Hackett Associates and in cooperation with the US National Retail Federation (NRF), recently pointed out that US retailers' sales and thus their imports to replenish inventories are set to continue booming throughout H1/2021. US retailers are... more
Sustainable steel distribution
XPO Logistics has renewed its UK partnership with stainless steel manufacturer Outokumpu. The partnership has now lasted nearly two decades. As Outokumpu’s supplier, XPO is responsible for transporting stainless steel products from the manufacturer’s plant in Sheffield to its UK... more
New managing director and chairman
PE Automotive has a new managing director, Christian Loidolt, who will also chair the executive board. He succeeded Ralf Maurer when he joined the company on 1 February 2021. Loidolt will be working with longstanding managing director Markus Seitz. Loidolt brings experience... more
Counterfeiters strike wrong note
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Washington Dulles International Airport recently seized 36 counterfeit guitars recently that if authentic, would have had a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of USD 158,692. The guitars arrived in 36 different shipments... more
"Curiosity of the Day" 
Mascara was first mentioned in Egyptian texts of the 4th millennium BC. It was a paste made of coal, honey and crocodile excrement. more
Jolie Cosman joins Deugro USA
Deugro USA has strengthened its team in Houston (Texas) and appointed Jolie Cosman as senior business development manager. “Making a pivotal change in her career” by leaving her own freight forwarding and letter of credit consultancy business where she worked as The LC... more