Three new units nearby 
The Naples-headquartered Grimaldi Group opens the new year 2021 with an enhancement of its fleet. The delivery of the “Eco Barcelona” took place in early January, while two more vessels with different specifications, the “Grande Texas” and the “Eco Livorno”, will join Grimaldi’s... more
Flourishing counterfeit shipments
As the NFL 2020/2021 season heats up, fraud activities are also on the increase. Over the first week of December, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Cincinnati seized 200 counterfeit jerseys determined to have several athletes’ autographs that were unapproved and... more
Astre wins on wines
Europe is one of the world’s most important markets for wines and spirits. The European logistics network Astre has expanded strongly into this business over the past few years. The e-commerce market was already growing steadily in 2019, and this upward trend increased... more
18,000 tank containers added to fleet
US Railcar leasing company GATX has acquired Trifleet Leasing, the fourth largest global tank container lessor. Headquartered in the Netherlands with offices worldwide, Trifleet owns and manages a fleet of over 18,000 tank containers leased to a diverse customer base in the... more
Nigel Stribley joins COA board
London-based Container Owners Association (COA) – the international organisation representing container shipping lines and container leasing companies worldwide – has appointed Nigel Stribley to its board of directors. The director of Blue Sky Intermodal (UK) Ltd, joins five... more
"Curiosity of the Day" 
Around 90% of the world’s population is genetically immune to leprosy. more
ZIM to go public
After first initiatives from mid-2019 on, the Haifa-based shipping company ZIM confirmed its plan to go public. Amongst others, the carrier recently published a prospectus ahead of an initial public offering (IPO) on the New York Stock Exchange, which is intended to take place... more
Movement kicks in
The RCEP free-trade zone established on 15 November (‘only’ online, due to Covid-19) directly affects almost a third of the world’s population. New moves in the China trade have already been initiated now, before the expected Far Eastern trade rejuvenation. more
A lack of containers
Boxes aren’t always just where you need them – sometimes they are stored for too long, for example in Asia or North America. There are bottlenecks in Europe too, however. A Gothenburg initiative is now turning the tables. more
Brexit the Scottish way
In an unusual move the association of Scottish food and drink exporters has written directly to Boris Johnson – without mincing its words. Besides criticising the lack of preparation for Brexit it has also called for a six-month grace period and compensation. more