This podcast is a new home for anyone with a professional interest in international trade, shipping, procurement, logistics and air cargo. Each episode your host, award-winning journalist Mike King, will be speaking to leading decision-makers, analysts, journalists, operators and shippers to get their take on current freight and logistics markets and the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Latest Episodes

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Suez, China+1 and 2026 Freight Bets

December 2, 2025 richard 00:53:05 Comments Off

A deep dive into the 2026 freight outlook, the return of Suez routes, China+1 manufacturing shifts, capacity risks and what shippers must prepare for next year. Produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group [https://dimerco.com/]. It’s the Freight Buyers’ Club Holiday Special — a festive wrap-up of a year that...

How Air Cargo Defied Forecasts — And What Happens Next?

November 26, 2025 richard 00:18:46 Comments Off

Air cargo wasn’t supposed to look this strong. Tariffs, the end of de minimis, political whiplash, war, and supply chain reshuffles all pointed to a difficult year. But the opposite happened. In this Freight Buyers Club air cargo special — produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group — Mike...

Mega-Ships, Congestion and the Suez Wildcard: Hamburg’s Plan for 2026

November 24, 2025 richard 00:07:03 Comments Off

Hamburg is gearing up for a turbulent few years in global container shipping. In this episode, Mike King speaks with Mathias Schulz, Director of Communications at Port of Hamburg Marketing, about the port’s major 2025–26 investment programme — including the enlarged turning basin, terminal expansion, and Hamburg’s push to...

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Since being on the Freight Buyers’ Club I have been receiving great responses!

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Board Member, Executive Advisor & Ex-World Economic Forum Director of Supply Chain

Important conversations at a critical moment for global trade.

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CEO, Dimerco Express Group

Such insightful speakers and great content, Mike. You are one of my essential listens!

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Executive Director, The Airforwarders Association

I loved, loved loved this last podcast. So good to just learn more about how your area operates but also to hear perspectives.

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The Freight Buyers' Club

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Peter Sand, Chief Analyst at Xeneta, drops his boldest prediction for 2026:
Shippers may finally start paying for true reliability.
After years of long transit times, broken promises, and 44-day services stretching to 60, Peter argues that 2026 could be the first year where shippers put real money behind improved service — with Gemini leading the way.
He explains why reliability could become a premium product again, and why getting supply chains back to just-in-time, instead of permanent “just-in-case,” may finally matter enough to pay for.
Produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group. https://dimerco.com/
#PeterSand #Xeneta #Freight2026 #ShippingOutlook #Reliability #ContainerShipping #SupplyChain #Logistics #FreightBuyersClub #GeminiAlliance

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Will Shippers Finally Pay for Reliability in 2026?

Shipping Outlook 2026: Nils Roche (Founder, Solvens Advisory; ex CMA CGM, Maersk, PIL) breaks down why traditional supply–demand logic no longer explains container markets — and why shock GRIs may become the new normal.

For the full Holiday Special episode “Should I Stay or Should I Go? Suez, China+1 and 2026 Freight Bets”, watch here:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAI5lBIGims
Produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group.
https://dimerco.com/
#ShippingOutlook #Freight2026 #ContainerShipping #SupplyChain #Logistics #GRI #GlobalTrade #NilsRoche #FreightBuyersClub

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Container Shipping Outlook 2026: Nils Roche on Supply, Demand & Shock GRIs

In this clip from our 2025 Holiday Special, Kathy Lui, VP Global Sales & Market at Dimerco Express Group, breaks down the real-world realities behind the China+1 manufacturing shift — and what it means for global supply chains.
Kathy explains:
• Why Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia are seeing explosive manufacturing growth
• How Dimerco supports companies relocating production lines into Southeast Asia
• The logistics and compliance challenges companies face when leaving China
• Why SMEs struggle far more than multinationals in China+1 moves
• How multimodal routing via China helps overcome capacity shortages
• Why infrastructure gaps limit Southeast Asia’s ability to match China’s scale
• How Dimerco’s new China+1 Logistics Playbook helps guide expansion decisions
This is a must-watch for anyone involved in global sourcing, manufacturing relocation, or supply chain strategy.
📘 Download Dimerco’s China+1 Logistics Playbook
Master International Growth
A Legal and Logistical Playbook for Global Expansion Success, with Expert Legal Insight From Addleshaw Goddard
https://dimerco.com/ebooks/global-business-expansion-playbook/
📺 Watch the full Holiday Special episode: https://youtu.be/tAI5lBIGims?si=fyR6rg48Zwt6FkJe
#ChinaPlusOne #China1 #SupplyChain #Logistics #SoutheastAsia #VietnamManufacturing #Thailand #Malaysia #GlobalTrade #Freight #Dimerco #ManufacturingShift #Nearshoring #Reshoring #SupplyChainStrategy

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How China+1 Really Works: Logistics, Risks and Compliance

Vietnam was one of the biggest winners of 2025 — and Kathy Liu, Vice President, Global Sales & Marketing at Dimerco Express Group, explains why.

In this clip from our 2025 Holiday Special, Kathy breaks down the surge in manufacturing shifting into Vietnam, the boom in electronics production around Hanoi, and why flights, factories and export lanes are running at full power.

With China+1 strategies accelerating, Vietnam has become a true rising star for global supply chains — and Kathy says the momentum will continue into 2026.

Watch the full episode: Should I Stay or Should I Go? The 2026 Freight Outlook. https://youtu.be/tAI5lBIGims?si=fyR6rg48Zwt6FkJe
#Vietnam #SupplyChain #ChinaPlusOne #Manufacturing #GlobalTrade #Dimerco #KathyLiu #FreightBuyersClub #SoutheastAsia #Logistics

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Vietnam: The Real Winner of Global Trade in 2025

It’s the Freight Buyers’ Club Holiday Special — a festive wrap-up of a year that delivered more plot twists than a Christmas soap marathon. From tariff shocks to China+1 shifts, Red Sea detours, booming Vietnam factories and air cargo refusing to behave “normally”… 2025 kept shippers on their toes.
To make sense of it all, Mike King is joined by a top-tier panel of industry heavyweights:
• Kathy Liu, VP Global Sales & Marketing, Dimerco Express Group
• Nils Roche, Founder, Solvens Advisory (ex PIL-Maersk, CMA CGM)
• Peter Sand, Chief Analyst, Xeneta
Together they break down the winners, losers and big surprises of 2025 — and offer a straight-talking look at what freight buyers must prepare for in 2026. Expect sharp insights, a bit of humour, and just enough holiday spirit to take the edge off another volatile year in global logistics.
In this special we cover:
• Tariffs, Trump and the year’s biggest policy whiplash
• China+1 shifts: what moved, what didn’t and why Vietnam won big
• Air cargo’s strange but spectacular 2025
• Suez, Red Sea and the looming capacity reset
• Carrier behaviour: orderly alliances, chaotic markets
• Contracting for 2026: reliability, risk and when to go short vs long
• Why “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” might be the perfect theme for freight next year
If you're planning your 2026 strategy, pour yourself a holiday drink and plug in — this is your end-of-year sanity check.
Special thanks to Dimerco Express Group [https://dimerco.com/] for supporting this holiday edition of The Freight Buyers’ Club.
📘 Download Dimerco’s China+1 Logistics Playbook
Master International Growth
A Legal and Logistical Playbook for Global Expansion Success, with Expert Legal Insight From Addleshaw Goddard
https://dimerco.com/ebooks/global-business-expansion-playbook/
#FreightBuyersClub #2026FreightOutlook #SupplyChain #Logistics #ContainerShipping #SuezCanal #ChinaPlusOne #China1 #Tariffs #AirCargo #VietnamManufacturing #GlobalTrade #FreightRates #Dimerco #ShippingIndustry #SupplyChainStrategy #MaritimeLogistics

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2026 Freight Outlook: Suez, China+1 and the Big Shipping Decisions Ahead

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Explained: How Air Cargo Defied Forecasts — And What Happens Next?

Hamburg is gearing up for a turbulent few years in global container shipping. In this episode, Mike King speaks with Mathias Schulz, Director of Communications at Port of Hamburg Marketing, about the port’s major 2025–26 investment programme — including the enlarged turning basin, terminal expansion, and Hamburg’s push to speed up mega-ship operations.
Schultz explains how Hamburg is managing congestion, the impact of strikes across the Northern Range, and why a potential reopening of the Suez Canal to container traffic could trigger fresh chaos. We also dig into shifting trade flows: Asia booming, the transatlantic lane slumping, and the Baltic region surprising on the upside.
With rail bottlenecks, digitalisation plans, and the uncertainty facing European consumers, Hamburg is preparing for a complex 2026. Schultz lays out what shippers, forwarders, and carriers should expect next.
This episode is sponsored by Ontegos Cloud.
#HamburgPort #ContainerShipping #OceanFreight #SupplyChain #PortCongestion #MegaShips #SuezCanal #ShippingNews

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Mega Ships, Congestion and the Suez Wildcard — Hamburg’s Plan for 2026

TIACA Director General Glyn Hughes joins Mike King in Miami on the sidelines of transport logistic Americas for an after-hours beer and a straight-talking look at the state of global air cargo. Fresh from TIACA’s first Air Cargo Forum in Abu Dhabi, Hughes breaks down why the sector keeps outperforming despite tariffs, geopolitics and chaotic trade policy.
He explains how shifting e-commerce flows, China+1 production, and a new “US+1” consumption trend are reshaping supply chains. We get into freighter tightness, belly shortages, spot-rate behaviour, and why yields look set to hold steady into 2026.
Hughes also gives the inside track on TIACA’s new partnership with a startup incubator, the rise of Middle Eastern hubs, and how regulatory and geopolitical messiness is now baked into global trade.
Plus: why flexibility is air cargo’s secret weapon, which airports to watch, and the one policy change that could transform the industry overnight.
Another straight-talking episode of the Freight Buyers’ Club — sponsored by Dimerco Express Group [https://dimerco.com/].
#AirCargo #AirFreight #Logistics #SupplyChain #Freight #TIACA #GlynHughes #EcommerceLogistics #GlobalTrade #FreightBuyersClub #DimercoExpressGroup

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Air Cargo vs Global Chaos: TIACA's Glyn Hughes on What’s Really Driving Growth

Freight buyers are heading into 2026 with a rare advantage — a genuine buyer’s market.
In this clip from 'Container Shipping 2026: Strategies Every Freight Buyer Needs Now', Mike King speaks with Mark Chadwick (President, Global Shippers’ Association) and Chantal McRoberts (Director, Drewry Supply Chain Advisors) about how to negotiate smarter, reduce risk, and lock in the right deals for the Transpacific contracting season.
⚓ Produced with the kind support of Dimerco Express Group https://dimerco.com/
🎧 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/ERHtDwtarOg
#ContainerShipping #FreightBuyersClub #FreightContracts #FreightRates #ShippingMarket #FreightStrategy #DimercoExpressGroup #SupplyChain #Logistics #TranspacificTrade

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How To Negotiate 2026 Container Shipping Contracts

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The Good, The Bad, and the ANC: South Africa’s Logistics on the Brink

“If the Suez Canal fully reopens, rates could drop fast.”
Chantal McRoberts, Director at Drewry Supply Chain Advisors, explains how excess capacity and a massive order book could push ocean freight rates to record lows — and why no one wants to predict the floor.

🎧 Watch the full episode: “Container Shipping Market 2026 Explained — Rates, Risk & Contracts”
📍 Sponsored by Dimerco Express Group

#FreightBuyersClub #ContainerShipping #FreightRates #Shipping2026 #Dimerco #Logistics #SupplyChain #GlobalTrade #FreightBuyers #OceanFreight #Drewry #Procurement #MaritimeLogistics #ShippingIndustry

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IF THE SUEZ CANAL FULLY REOPENS, RATES COULD COLLAPSE

🎢 “An Intense Rollercoaster” — that’s how our guests describe the 2026 container shipping market.

In this clip from Container Shipping 2026: Strategies Every Freight Buyer Needs Now, Mike King asks Chantal McRoberts (Drewry Supply Chain Advisors) and Mark Chadwick (Global Shippers’ Association) for their rapid takes on what lies ahead:
• Which trade lanes could surprise us in 2026
• The biggest wildcards — from geopolitics to demand shocks
• The one metric every freight buyer should watch
• And one word to describe the year ahead...
⚓ Produced with the kind support of Dimerco Express Group [https://dimerco.com/]
🎧 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/ERHtDwtarOg
💬 What’s your one-word forecast for 2026? Drop it in the comments 👇
#ContainerShipping #FreightBuyersClub #FreightContracts #FreightRates #ShippingMarket #FreightStrategy #DimercoExpressGroup #SupplyChain #Logistics #TranspacificTrade

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Quick Fire Ocean Freight Forecast 2026

Container trade growth is moving — and the U.S. is losing share.
In this clip from Container Shipping 2026: Strategies Every Freight Buyer Needs Now, Mike King speaks with Mark Chadwick (President, Global Shippers’ Association) and Chantal McRoberts (Director, Drewry Supply Chain Advisors) about why exports from Asia are rising to Europe, Latin America, and West Africa, while U.S. volumes stay flat — and what this means for carrier strategy, sourcing, and long-term planning.
⚓ Produced with the kind support of Dimerco Express Group [https://dimerco.com/]
🎧 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/ERHtDwtarOg

#ContainerShipping #FreightBuyersClub #GlobalTrade #TradeGrowth #FreightRates #DimercoExpressGroup #ShippingMarket #Logistics #SupplyChain #USPorts #AsiaEuropeTrade #TranspacificTrade

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US Trade Lanes are STAGNATING: What's Happening to Global Freight

“There’s a massive disconnect between what a surcharge costs and what we’re billed.”

Mark Chadwick, President of the Global Shippers’ Association, explains why even the biggest cargo owners can’t make sense of ocean carrier surcharges — and why it’s time for more transparency in global shipping.

🎧 Watch the full episode: “Container Shipping Market 2026 Explained — Rates, Risk & Contracts”
Sponsored by Dimerco Express Group

#FreightBuyersClub #ContainerShipping #FreightCosts #Surcharges #Dimerco #Shipping2026 #GlobalTrade #Procurement #Logistics #SupplyChain #FreightBuyers #OceanFreight

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Container Shipping Surcharges Make No Sense

How can freight buyers win in 2026’s unpredictable container shipping market?
Host Mike King gets straight answers from two of the industry’s sharpest insiders:
• Mark Chadwick, President of the Global Shippers’ Association, representing some of the world’s biggest cargo owners — from energy giants to appliance makers.
• Chantal McRoberts, Director at Drewry Supply Chain Advisors, who helps global shippers make sense of volatile container markets after years inside major carriers.
Together, they unpack what’s next for container shipping, how to manage freight risk, and how smart buyers are negotiating contracts and planning for 2026.
⚓ In this episode:
• 2026 container shipping market outlook — the key trends and threats
• How to lock in smarter freight contracts and avoid nasty surprises
• The latest on emissions regulation and its cost impact
• Rate volatility on the Transpacific and Asia–Europe trades
• Managing risk, surcharges, and service reliability
• What shippers can do now to prepare for 2026
Packed with insights, forecasts and no-nonsense advice, this is the ultimate guide for freight buyers heading into another wild year.
⚓ Produced with the kind support of Dimerco Express Group [https://dimerco.com/]
CHAPTERS
00:00 Meet the Guests — Mark Chadwick & Chantal McRoberts
02:49 IMO MEPC: The Emissions Deadlock
08:25 Transpacific Market Mayhem
19:54 Contracting Season — Freight Buyer Strategy
27:44 Surcharges — The Love–Hate Relationship
34:05 Global Container Market Analysis
43:27 Outlook 2026 — Overcapacity, Alliances & Risk
48.55 Quick-Fire Forecasts
#ContainerShipping #FreightBuyersClub #ShippingMarket #FreightRates #SupplyChain #Logistics #DimercoExpressGroup #FreightContracts #GlobalTrade #Shippers #MaritimeIndustry #ShippingOutlook2026

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Container Shipping 2026: Strategies Every Freight Buyer Needs Now

Global trade is booming again in 2025 — the fastest growth since 2010. In this episode of The Freight Buyers’ Club, supported by Ontegos Cloud, Mike King talks with DHL Express CEO John Pearson about the latest DHL Global Connectedness Tracker update and what it reveals about 2025’s trade surge. From China’s export expansion and Africa’s growing trade power, to tariffs, de-minimis changes, and shifting supply chains, Pearson explains how global commerce is evolving and why globalisation is far from dead.
🎧 Essential listening for anyone in freight forwarding, logistics, or international trade.
________________________________________
Full Description
DHL’s latest Global Connectedness Tracker shows global trade growth at its fastest pace since 2010.
In this episode of The Freight Buyers’ Club, supported by Ontegos Cloud, the freight forwarder profitability specialist, host Mike King speaks with John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express, about what’s driving the remarkable rebound in global trade and supply chains in 2025.
They discuss China’s export boom, Africa’s rising influence in international logistics, and why globalisation is far from dead despite tariffs, shifting trade routes, and new supply chain pressures. Pearson explains how DHL is adapting to changing trade lanes, what record trade-lane deviations really mean, and why the world’s buyers and sellers are proving more creative and resilient than ever.
Expect clear insights on:
• The fastest global trade growth in over a decade
• The new trade corridors shaping global logistics
• China’s 26% export surge into Sub-Saharan Africa
• The US retreat from trade vs. global expansion elsewhere
• How DHL is positioning for long-term supply chain growth
🎧 The Freight Buyers’ Club — where the people who move the world’s goods talk straight about what’s really happening in global logistics and international trade.

#GlobalTrade #DHL #FreightBuyersClub #Logistics #SupplyChain #InternationalTrade #DHLExpress

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Global Trade is BOOMING! What's Driving the Surge?

In this Freight Buyers’ Club interview, produced with the support of Ontegos Cloud, host Mike King speaks to Rainer Haag, CEO of DHL Supply Chain Europe, at the grand opening of DHL’s new European Innovation Center in Troisdorf, Germany.
They discuss how DHL is turning innovation into action — applying AI, automation, and digitalisation to make supply chains more resilient, sustainable, and efficient — while navigating the trade and tariff shifts reshaping global freight.
Rainer shares insights on:
• How DHL decides which technologies to pilot and scale
• The impact of robotics and automation on people and performance
• Why “digital by default” is central to DHL’s operations
• How European trade flows are adapting to disruption and nearshoring
• The next wave of technology transforming logistics
🎙️ Hosted by Mike King, The Freight Buyers’ Club
💡 Supported by Ontegos Cloud — the freight forwarder profitability specialist
📍 Recorded at the DHL Innovation Center, Troisdorf, Germany
#FreightBuyersClub #DHL #SupplyChain #Logistics #Trade #Freight #Automation #AIinLogistics #Warehousing #Innovation #LogisticsNews #OntegosCloud

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Tech, Trade, and the Future of European Supply Chains: DHL’s Rainer Haag

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AI Meets Logistics: Inside DHL’s New European Innovation Center (EPIC)

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Dimerco connects Asia with the world like no other global 3PL

We integrate air and ocean freight, trade compliance and contract logistics services to make global supply chains more effective and efficient. The majority of our global shipping projects connect Asia’s logistics and manufacturing hubs with each other and with North America and Europe.

Started from a single location in Taiwan in 1971, we now serve customers from 150+ Dimerco offices, 80+ contract logistics operations, and 200+ strategic partner agents throughout China, India, Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe