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Transport Infrastructure

Freight Logistics

Ground Freight

Russia's Far East will test drones and unmanned vehicles for trade with China

A Russian regional official stated that self-driving vehicles and drones could be used to transport goods between China and Russia's Far East. The brisk trade across the border has prompted a search for?new forms of cargo transportation?to avoid congestion. The Amur region of Russia, which?shares? a long border between China and Russia, is developing trial programmes with Chinese authorities in partnership, said the deputy chairman of the regional government, Pavel Puzanov. He was speaking at a business conference in Kazan. China is providing a lifeline for Russia's economy after it was sanctioned following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in...

Freight Logistics

Sources say that the Sheskharis terminal in Russia's Black Sea halted loadings following a drone attack.

Three sources familiar with the matter confirmed that the suspension of crude oil exports was due to a drone attack on Friday. This added to the disruptions at one of the country's main export outlets. Sheskharis, Russia's largest oil export facility in the Black Sea, handles approximately 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The shutdown of the Sheskharis terminal adds pressure to Russia's energy infrastructure, which has been repeatedly attacked in recent months. On Friday, the administration of Novorossiysk sent out a new drone alert to residents. This indicates that there is a continuing threat in the port area....

Ground Freight & Logistics

Shares of freight group DSV fall 13% on cash flow decline and disappointing earnings

DSV reported a "sharp decline" in its second-quarter cashflow on Wednesday. The disappointment about the company's profit growth and earnings caused shares to fall by 13%. DSV acquired Schenker, a German freight forwarder, last year to become the largest in the world. While planned cost reductions are on track, the deals to sell excess property have not been completed. DSV reported that adjusted free 'cash flow' fell to 786 millions Danish crowns ($120million) from 3.98billion crowns a a year earlier?due a temporary increase in working capital due to higher activity, increasing freight rates and soaring fuel and bunker prices. It...

Freight Logistics

How the Houthi blockade of the Red Sea strengthens Iran's grip over global energy supplies

Houthis, who are allied with Iran, in Yemen, will blockade Saudi Arabia's maritime traffic, they announced on Monday. This would further restrict a global market for energy, which is already severely restricted due to Iran's closing of the Strait?of Hormuz. Why it matters, and what it means to the Iran War and the global energy crises: How big is the risk to global energy markets? It's not clear what the Houthis will do to blockade Saudi Arabia along the Red Sea Coast, their northern neighbor. Or if they would return to attacking shipping. Yemen is located on the strait of?Bab...

Freight Logistics

Sources: Russian steel magnate sold shipping firm in Sea of Azov

Four industry sources confirmed that Russian steel billionaire Vladimir Lisin sold a shipping company?operating?in the Sea of Azov, to agricultural logistics group Demetra. They added that the deal had been negotiated before Ukrainian drone strikes on commercial vessels caused shipping restrictions in the region. Volga Shipping transports grain, metals and coal along the Volga, Don and Black Sea rivers. Its cargo volume is more than 15 million metric tonnes per year. On Monday, neither Demetra nor Volga Shipping, nor Lisin's steel company NLMK responded to any requests for comments. Four sources confirmed that Demetra and Lisin-affiliated companies were involved in...

Freight Logistics

Wall Street Journal, July 17,

These are the most popular stories from the Wall Street Journal. The?has not checked these stories or?cannot?guarantee their accuracy. Databricks, a provider of data analytics, has raised a round of strategic funding valued at $188 billion. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that Taco Bell owned by Yum Brands would stop using shredded iceberg sourced from a supplier that has been linked with a parasitic outbreak causing a severe form of diarrhea and vomiting. Honda Motors will stop?the production?of its Prologue SUV, which is sold?in America?this?year. Honda Motors will not cancel sales immediately, but expects to continue them until...

Freight Logistics

The threat of Iranian and Houthi shipping to the Red Sea is more important for oil today

Iran warned that if U.S. strikes continue, its campaign to choke global energy markets may expand from the Strait-of-Hormuz?to the crucial Red Sea route. This threat is dependent on the Houthi allies of Iran in Yemen. Here's why it matters, and what that means for the Iran War and the global energy crises: How big is the risk to global energy markets? The Bab el-Mandeb strait, the gateway to the Red Sea, would be closed and open a whole new front in the conflict between Iran and the U.S. The Red Sea is now an important alternative outlet for Gulf...

Freight Logistics

Sources say that the lower freight rates for Urals shipments from Russia to India are due to increased tanker availability.

According to three sources, the freight rates for tanker shipments from western ports of Russia's Urals crude to India have fallen in July compared to last month. This is because increased vessel availability and the summer season eased pressure on the market. The lower transportation costs are a relief for Russian oil exporters whose margins were under pressure due to the wider discounts on Urals crude, as a result of weak demand in Asia. Sources claim that the cost to ship a cargo of 100,000 metric tonnes of Aframax from the Baltic port of Primorsk, in the Baltic Sea, to...

Logistics

CMA CGM will buy FedEx's third-party logistics division for $1.4 billion

CMA -CGM, a French shipping company, has acquired FedEx's "third-party logistics" business, valued at $1.4 billion. The deal was announced on Wednesday, in an effort to increase its presence both in the United States and the logistics industry. The deal, which is expected to be completed later this year, will give CMA CGM, via its CEVA Logistics subsidiary a total of 20,000 contract logistics employees and 150 warehouses in North America. CMA CGM announced that following the acquisition the companies will also develop partnerships, under which CMA CGM would be the "preferred ocean carrier" for FedEx, and they would collaborate...

Freight Logistics

Russian attacks continue but Ukraine grain rates are lower, says ASAP Agri consultancy

The grain freight rates in Ukraine are down despite the 'ongoing Russian attacks' on Black Sea ports, ASAP Agri said on Monday. They cited a seasonal decline in cargo flow. Last week, officials and industry executives told? Last week, industry executives and officials told? The Ukrainian Navy said Monday that a Russian drone?hit a Turkish dry cargo vessel, causing an extensive fire on board. Ukraine is a major grain exporter in the world, and its Black Sea port handles more than 90% of its exports. ASAP Agri stated that as Ukraine closes its 2025/26 summer-july export season, the historically low...

Freight Logistics

New York Times Business News - June 16,

These are the top stories from the business pages of the New York Times. The New 'York Times has not?verified?these stories and does?not vouch?for their accuracy. Fox Corp. is purchasing Roku for $22 billion in cash and stock. This represents a major?bet by the broadcaster on the streaming platform to strengthen their advertising business and increase the reach of its sports and news content online. The preliminary agreement?to end?the war?between?the United States _and?Iran aims to reopen quickly the Strait of Hormuz. However, companies have said that they require more information before navigating this waterway. Iran announced on Monday that they...

Freight Logistics

Two crew members missing following suspected US strike on tanker near Oman

Officials from the maritime industry said that two crew members are missing and another is injured after a suspected U.S. missile strike on a fuel tanker near Oman's coast. Ambrey believes that the 'blockade of Iranian ports by U.S. Ambrey, a British maritime security organization, said that the blockade of Iranian ports was likely to be responsible. In the past, crews were warned to gather at the bow of the vessel before an attack. Another maritime security source said that the ship was also likely to have been?hit by a U.S. rocket. The United Kingdom's Maritime Trade Operations agency reported...

Passenger Transportation Services

Passenger Transportation Services

AirBaltic bondholders in Latvia agree to waive two interest payments

AirBaltic's bondholders agreed to allow the airline to?skip interest in?August?and November?as it?seeks?fresh investment?, the Latvian state-controlled airline announced on Monday. Holders of over 75% of the EUR380 million ($440 millions) in bonds issued by the airline with a coupon of 14.50%, voted to add the interest to principal rather than receive cash payments. The holders waived the?minimum liquidity requirement' until November. The company stated that "the approved resolutions ensure continuity of airBaltic operations. Passengers can book future travel with confidence. LSM, the national broadcaster, reported that Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kuulbergs stated that bondholders have not approved of the entire...

Passenger Transportation Services

Vietnam Aviation body: passenger plane returned from Munich to Vietnam after tail strike and tyre pressure warnings

Vietnam's Aviation Authority said that warnings about a low?tyre?pressure and a possible tail?strike were triggered soon after a Vietnam?Airlines Boeing?787?took?off from Munich?on?Sunday, prompting the aircraft to return at the weekend to the German airport. Flightradar24, a flight tracking website, reports that the Hanoi bound aircraft circled around for over two hours in order to burn off fuel before returning to Munich. The aircraft reportedly overran the runway at takeoff after it was reported to have been overrun. In a late-Sunday statement, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), said that warnings had been triggered after takeoff indicating "contact between the...

Passenger Transportation Services

Foreign borrowers flood Asia-Pacific bonds markets with everything from kangaroos and dim sum to kangaroos.

Foreign borrowers are ploughing into Asia-Pacific bonds markets that were once a niche. This shows that not only Big Tech is grabbing funding in an uncertain world with record borrowing. Commerzbank of Germany, Engie, Persil owner Henkel, Singapore Airlines, and the Portuguese Government have all sold bonds this year denominated both in Australian dollars and Chinese yuan. In fact, "kangaroo bond" sales by foreign issuers of Australian dollars have reached a record 'high' this year. This is up about 40% compared to 2025. Hong Kong dollar issuing has also reached a new record. Goldman Sachs reports that Chinese "panda", and...

Passenger Ground & Sea Transportation

Transportation

LNG Transportation

Bousso: The ROI-Oil Market begins pricing for a prolonged Hormuz Crisis

Oil market behavior is becoming more and more like a permanent reality. It's not just a temporary shock. Hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough are fading nearly six months after the war between Iran and the U.S. erupted. The interim ceasefire that was agreed to on June 17 is now 'effectively over,' the 60-day negotiation period has ended, and neither Washington or Tehran appear willing to compromise about the future of Strait of Hormuz. Both sides have instead dug in. Iran warned that tensions would escalate if Washington did not fully implement the interim peace agreement within a few weeks. A...

Transportation

Bousso: The ROI-Oil Market begins pricing for a prolonged Hormuz Crisis

Oil market behavior is becoming more and more like a permanent reality. It's not just a temporary shock. The hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough are fading nearly six months after the war broke out between the U.S. The interim ceasefire that was agreed upon on June 17 is now effectively over, the 60 day negotiating period is finished, and neither Washington or Tehran appear willing to compromise about the future of Strait of Hormuz. Both sides have instead dug in. Iran warned that tensions would escalate if Washington did not fully implement the interim peace agreement within weeks. An Iranian...

Transportation

Houthis claim to have attacked Saudi vessels near Yemen's Mocha

According to Yahya Saree, the military spokesperson for the Houthis'?Iran-aligned group in Yemen on Telegram Monday, the Houthis fired missiles at what they 'described' as a Saudi military ship and its four escorting vessels in the Red Sea. Saudi authorities did not immediately confirm the report. Mocha is a Red Sea Port near the 'Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This strategic chokepoint connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, and it is an important international shipping line. The Houthis reportedly attacked a ship on Tuesday in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, at the southern 'entrance to the Red Sea. According to...

Transportation

Sources say that Russia's Black Sea Novorossiysk Port resumes oil loading after drone attack

Two trading sources reported that the main Black Sea oil terminal of Russia, Novorossiysk, resumed its operations on Sunday following a Friday drone attack. Sources said that a Suezmax class tanker had been loading Kazakh KEBCO crude since Sunday. It was due to depart on Monday. One of the sources stated on Monday that another tanker will begin loading 80,000 tonnes of KEBCO crude oil on Tuesday. Novorossiysk is capable of handling?around 700,000. barrels per day. It can load Russia's Urals and Siberian Light grades as well as Kazakh KEBCO. The Sheskharis Terminal, the port’s main oil export facility, is...

Transportation

Fuel shortages in Russia: Second wave sweeps across the country

According to regional authorities and media, fuel shortages returned to certain regions of 'Russia in August. Local authorities in at least ten regions tightened controls on the sale of motor fuel at petrol stations. On Monday, witnesses reported that diesel fuel was still available in almost all fuel stations throughout the Moscow region. However, gasoline was again unavailable. Fuel?crisis began in May, and by July, it had spread to almost all of Russia. It was caused by the closure of several refineries that were?targeted in drone attacks, and an increase in seasonal demand. The authorities increased fuel supplies on the...

Transportation

The financial week in five charts - Bank boom, aluminum squeeze and smart freight

Open Interest (ROI), every Friday, distills the previous five days' financial week into five charts that highlight the most important trends, surprises, and overlooked moves. 1. HORMUZ REALISTIC CHECK CLYDE RUSSEL, 'ROI Asia Commodities and Energy'?Columnist : Middle East crude exports, including?flows across the Strait of Hormuz?, have been depressed this summer, say commodity analysts Kpler. The data is in line with other vessel tracking companies but it stands in stark contrast to the claims made by U.S. Energy Sec. Chris Wright this week that 15 million barrels of crude oil per day were leaving the region. This includes 9...

Transportation

Bird remains found on 737 engine after Ryanair Greek incident

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board reported on Thursday that bird remains were discovered in the 'engine' of a Ryanair Boeing 737 NG where a 'passenger' was partially sucked out through a broken window in July. The NTSB investigates the incident in which a piece from the engine of the plane broke and smashed a window. The plane was headed for Germany when it lost pressure, forcing the pilot to land in an emergency. In its preliminary report on the July 10 incident, the NTSB stated that there were four suspected bird strikes against the No. 2 engine of the...

Transportation

Ukraine searches for alternative routes to grain exports as they plunge

Ukraine will ship more grain via the?Danube River and neighbouring countries in?eastern Europe after a Russian?blockade? of key Black Sea ports caused exports to plummet 76% year-onyear so far this August, said the state railway operator on Thursday. Ukrzaliznytsia reported that grain exports have reached 201,700 tons this month. In a recent report, it stated that "the pace of export shipments has been extremely low due to the blockade at seaports." Since the end of December, Russian attacks on Ukrainian Black Sea export terminals, vessels and ports have effectively stopped shipments. Ukrzaliznytsia stated that export cargo is being redirected towards...

Transportation

India's HPCL purchases 4 million barrels Middle Eastern crude oil, traders claim

Multiple trade sources confirmed that 'Indian state-run refiner Hindustan Petroleum Corp. bought 4 million barrels of Middle Eastern crude in a spot auction on Thursday. They said that the refiner bought 2 million?barrels? of Murban crude? from BP and another?1million barrels? of Murban?from PetroChina, as well as 1 million barrels?of Oman crude?from Trafigura. Both grades are?loaded from outside of the Strait of Hormuz. Two of the people said that Murban's delivered price was $7 per barrel higher than Brent's contract date, and Oman's delivered price was $4 to $5 per barrel. Arrival of the oil is expected to be around...

Oil Pipeline

Russia claims that the Ukrainian attacks are driving up food prices globally, leading to grain shortages

Russian claimed on Wednesday that Ukrainian strikes against its grain and agricultural infrastructure were causing global food prices to rise - and exacerbating the grain shortages. This, it said, served some Western countries' interests. Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, made her comments after a wave Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s Black Sea Port of Novorossiysk, which killed three people, including a young child, and caused major grain terminals in the city to cease working. Zakharova stated: "It's evident that the Kyiv regime is pursuing a cynical campaign of military aggression to create chaos on the global food...

Transportation

YPF's oil exports via VMOS have reached 180,000 bpd since January

Chief Executive 'Horacio 'Marin announced on Wednesday that Argentine oil Company YPF will begin exporting?180,000 barrels a day via a port located in the Rio Negro Province?from january as part -of -the VMOS Project. Marin told the Vaca Muerta Investment Forum, in Buenos Aires, that "we will begin exporting in January. First, we will export 180,000 barrels a day. Then, 360,000 barrels a day by mid-year, and then 550,000 barrels a day in 2028." He added, "We're already looking at expanding our production to 700,000.?barrels a day." VMOS, a consortium, includes YPF and Vista Energy Argentina, as well as Pampa...

Transportation

British grid operator cancels request for backup power during Solar Eclipse hours

The National Energy System Operator of Britain has cancelled a?earlier?electricity?margin?notice for Wednesday evening, which had asked participants in the market to make additional generation capacity during the solar eclipse. * NESO announced that it has canceled its notice 'for the period between 1700 GMT and?1900 GMT. It had originally expected a?system margin shortfall? of 1,200 megawatts compared to the?amount they would like to have available. According to a NESO spokesperson, the notice was issued to customers as a precautionary step due to the'solar eclipse'. There is no risk for the customer's electricity supply. Grid operators across Europe are preparing for...