The smuggling of people has unfortunately become a major issue in certain parts of the world. Political imperatives in target countries have led stricter immigration restrictions and increased government action. International clandestine migration has become a persistent threat to the unitised supply chain.
The announcement of another fire on board a container ship early in January 2020 - the first publicised this year - reinforce the vital importance of increasing rigour around the transport of dangerous goods (and not just by sea).
1 January 2020 will witness the introduction of Incoterms® 2020. Revised every ten years, in common with previous editions, this latest revision has been assessed against current business practices, taking into account new technologies and challenges faced through the intervening period.
Incorporation of Incoterms into a sale contract will not bind any third party, or govern any other contract. It remains for the seller or buyer to ensure that the agreed Incoterm correctly reflects the reality for finance, carriage and insurance. Start with the end in mind!
The versatility of the tank container for both transport and storage can give it preference over traditional parcel tankers and drums, influencing how supply chains develop, providing additional efficiencies and flexibility.
It has been a torrid year for cargo-related containership fires, with reported incidents averaging every 30 days and bucking the twenty plus year frequency of roughly every 60 days.
TT Club - amongst other industry stakeholders - has long championed CTU inspections as a key weapon in the armoury to enhance safety and combat poor packing practices.
The containerised supply chain is well-known for its complexity. TT Club is seeking to 'call out' any practice that may undermine safety and preclude certain of outcome within its 'Cargo Integrity' / #Fit4Freight campaign. Key targets inevitably relate to shipment, handling and carriage of dangerous goods.
A number of container lines have recently announced measures to discourage shippers from mis-declaring hazardous cargoes, which is a practice strongly suspected as being either the cause of, or at least contributory to, the spate of container ship fires in recent months.
TT Club and BSI Supply Chain Services & Solutions have teamed up again to produce a full year analysis of cargo theft, together with some further loss prevention commentary to assist those considering how to combat this on-going threat.
TT Club and BSI have issued the second edition of their report on global cargo theft, the first to cover a full year. Highlighted findings include: theft from road vehicles once more accounts for the highest proportion at 84%; Slash and Grab the largest type of cargo theft at 26% globally but with significant regional variations; the combination of food, beverage, alcohol and tobacco making up the most common commodity group at 34% and South America topping the regional analysis of median value for each theft at $77,000.
