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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

Death by a thousand paper cuts: US tariffs, freight fraud and the cost of war

May 14, 2026 richard Podcast 00:50:04 Comments Off on Death by a thousand paper cuts: US tariffs, freight fraud and the cost of war

The Trump administration’s tariff programme has suffered another legal defeat. The US Court of International Trade ruled 2-1 against the 10% Section 122 global surcharge, the replacement for the IEEPA reciprocal tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court in February. So which tariffs are actually still standing, and what...

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The Questions Every Freight Buyer Should Ask AI Vendors: JOC’s Eric Johnson

May 11, 2026 richard Podcast 00:06:18 Comments Off on The Questions Every Freight Buyer Should Ask AI Vendors: JOC’s Eric Johnson

In this clip from The Freight Buyers' Club's latest AI and logtech special, Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor at the Journal of Commerce, gives freight buyers and logistics operators a practical framework for cutting through the AI vendor noise. He covers how he evaluates vendor claims as a journalist, why...

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Who wins the AI race in logistics, and who gets left behind?

May 6, 2026 richard Podcast 01:02:56 Comments Off on Who wins the AI race in logistics, and who gets left behind?

On April 7th this year, Anthropic released an AI model called Claude Mythos. It was so capable at finding vulnerabilities in software that the company restricted access to around fifty organisations. The US Treasury summoned the biggest banks. The Pentagon had already stepped in. The Economist called it a...

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Since being on the Freight Buyers’ Club I have been receiving great responses!
Susan Williams
Founder, Kalalou
…insightful initial contribution to the industry’s public discourse
Wolfgang Lehmacher
Board Member, Executive Advisor & Ex-World Economic Forum Director of Supply Chain
Important conversations at a critical moment for global trade.
Jeffrey Shih
CEO, Dimerco Express Group
Such insightful speakers and great content, Mike. You are one of my essential listens!
Brandon Fried
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.
Seham Lewis
Supply Chain Expert, USAF Veteran
Topical, timely and an awesome cast of experts.
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Chief Prejector, The Internet of Transit

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The Freight Buyers' Club

6K subscribers
The Freight Buyers' Club
The Trump administration’s tariff programme has suffered another legal defeat. The US Court of International Trade ruled 2-1 against the 10% Section 122 global surcharge, the replacement for the IEEPA reciprocal tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court in February. So which tariffs are actually still standing, and what comes next? Mike King is joined by Karen Kenney, founder and president of K2 Trade Solutions and Dimerco Express Group Trade Compliance Strategist, and Nancy O’Liddy, Executive Director of the National Industrial Transportation League, to map out the current tariff landscape, explain how the four remaining pillars stack, and look at what the $166 billion CAPE refund process means in practice for importers. They also get into tariff fraud, including transshipment evasion, the growing risk of refund interception through the CAPE portal, and double-brokering in US domestic freight. Plus: diesel prices up 60% year on year, carrier surcharges, the Federal Maritime Commission’s pushback, and what the war in the Middle East actually means for shipping costs. And Nancy O’Liddy on why the NITL is calling for the Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern merger to be denied. A wide-ranging, practical episode for anyone managing freight costs or supply chain risk in 2026. Produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group: https://dimerco.com CHAPTERS 0:03:00 The Section 122 ruling: another legal defeat for Trump tariffs 0:06:00 Which tariffs are actually still standing? 0:08:00 The global tariff map: what it means by country and product 0:11:00 Tariff stacking explained: how 80% ends up on a tin can 0:15:00 The $166 billion refund: how the CAPE process is working in practice 0:23:00 Transshipment fraud: the $107 billion evasion problem 0:30:00 Refund fraud and the risk building around the CAPE portal 0:34:00 Double-brokering and domestic freight fraud 0:37:00 Fuel costs: diesel up 60% and what it means for shippers 0:47:00 Rail consolidation: why NITL is calling for the UP/NS merger to be denied RELATED EPISODE Carrier consolidation, AI & freight fraud: Gebrüder Weiss North America CEO Mark McCullough https://youtu.be/N7kVfrHfAAo DATA AND PRESS CREDITS Data and graphics: TPC Tariff Rules Engine v1.6 | American Automobile Association Press coverage cited: The Guardian | The New York Times | Dow Jones Risk Journal (Liz Young, 28 April 2026) | The Washington Post (Linda Miller, 23 April 2026) | Journal of Commerce Research cited: Gaia Dynamics, “The Refund Trap: Why IEEPA Recovery Can Trigger Hidden Compliance Exposure”, 21 April 2026 | Altana AI, tariff evasion report, April 2026 FOLLOW THE FREIGHT BUYERS’ CLUB Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mjDlZfKPFAnZwZeTNsiej?si=465c7c68316e4a0c Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-freight-buyers-club/id1668766055 Website: thefreightbuyersclub.com #TrumpTariffs #TradeWar #SupplyChain #FreightBuying #Logistics

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US Tariffs, Freight Fraud and the Cost of War | The Freight Buyers' Club

In this clip from The Freight Buyers' Club, Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor at the Journal of Commerce, gives freight buyers and logistics operators a practical framework for cutting through the AI vendor noise. He covers how he evaluates vendor claims as a journalist, why the compulsion to understand how AI works is the wrong instinct, what blockchain taught us about technology hype, and the specific questions every buyer should be putting to vendors before they commit. Watch the full episode here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX9C1d4HwNA Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7xPnfH2JgjCmIjhGiV1w7F Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/who-wins-the-ai-race-in-logistics-and-who-gets-left-behind/id1668766055?i=1000766413060 Website: https://www.thefreightbuyersclub.com/podcast/who-wins-the-ai-race-in-logistics-and-who-gets-left-behind/ #AI #Logistics #FreightTech #SupplyChain #FreightBuying #LogisticsTech #ArtificialIntelligence #FreightForwarding #FreightBuyersClub #SupplyChainTech

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The Questions Every Freight Buyer Should Ask AI Vendors

50 per cent return on capital employed is the minimum standard for a well-run freight forwarder, according to Oliver Gritz, founder and CEO of Ontegos Cloud and former CFO of DHL Express. The really great ones do 100 per cent and more. In this clip from The Freight Buyers' Club, Oliver explains why forwarding is an algorithmic business with no excuse for falling below the benchmark, and why so much of the industry tolerates a substandard level of performance. 📌 Key points: • Why 50% ROCE should be the floor, not the target • Why top performers run at 100% return on capital and above • Why forwarding is an algorithmic business, not a strategic one • The discipline of clockwork, error-free operations • Why the standard hasn't permeated the industry Produced with the support of Ontegos Cloud, the freight forwarder profitability specialists. 👉 Full episode available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and at thefreightbuyersclub.com #FreightForwarding #SupplyChain #Logistics #ROCE #FreightBuyersClub

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Why 50% Return on Capital is Just the Baseline in Freight

In this clip from The Freight Buyers' Club, Wolfgang Lehmacher, former Head of Supply Chain and Transport Industries at the World Economic Forum, cuts through the hype around digital twins and explains what a real one actually does. He draws on Lenovo as a working example, explains why most of what the industry calls a digital twin is really just a dashboard, and reveals that one of his own partners is still missing 60% of supply chain visibility despite significant technology investment. Watch the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX9C1d4HwNA #DigitalTwin #SupplyChain #Logistics #FreightTech #AI #LogisticsTech #SupplyChainTech #FreightBuyersClub #GlobalTrade #SupplyChainVisibility

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Digital Twins: What They Really Are and Who Is Actually Using Them

On April 7th this year, Anthropic released an AI model called Claude Mythos. It was so capable at finding vulnerabilities in software that the company restricted access to around fifty organisations. The US Treasury summoned the biggest banks. The Pentagon had already stepped in. The Economist called it a watershed moment. In this episode of The Freight Buyers' Club, Mike King uses the Mythos moment as the way in to a much bigger conversation about AI and the future of logistics technology. Who controls the most powerful tools? What happens inside a company when AI actually lands? What does it mean for jobs, for compliance risk, for tribal knowledge, and for the competitive structure of the freight industry itself? Joining Mike are: • Zubin Appoo, CEO of WiseTech Global, the company behind CargoWise • Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor at the Journal of Commerce, part of S&P Global • Wolfgang Lehmacher, former Head of Supply Chain and Transport Industries at the World Economic Forum In this episode: • The Mythos moment and what gated AI access means for freight • Fragmentation vs scale: the technology debate reshaping the industry • What AI actually does inside a logistics company when it lands • Tribal knowledge: what happens when the repetitive work disappears • Digital twins, compliance risk and the case for optimism 00:00 - Cold Open: The Mythos Moment 00:01 - Meet the Panel 00:03 - AI as a Controlled Substance: Framing the Debate 00:04 - Eric Johnson: Manhattan Project and the Two-Tier Access Question 00:06 - Wolfgang Lehmacher: Palantir, Government Relationships and Structural Advantage 00:09 - Zubin Appoo: Where CargoWise Sits When AI Gets Gated 00:11 - Fragmentation vs Scale: The Concentration Risk Debate 00:13 - Inside the WiseTech Restructure 00:17 - Intelligent Logistics: How AI Changes What Platforms Can Do 00:20 - The Mid-Market Forwarder: Opportunity or Threat? 00:21 - Eric Johnson: Cutting Through the AI Vendor Noise 00:28 - Tribal Knowledge: What Disappears When the Repetitive Work Goes? 00:34 - Wolfgang Lehmacher: Data Sharing, Digital Twins and Resilience 00:44 - Compliance Risk: Where AI Actually Changes the Game 00:52 - Who Wins in Three Years, and Is There a Case for Optimism? #AI #Logistics #FreightTech #SupplyChain #CargoWise #FreightBuyersClub #WiseTechGlobal #ArtificialIntelligence #FreightForwarding #SupplyChainTech

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Did Claude Mythos Just Change Everything in Logistics?

Forwarders are leaving 3 to 5 per cent of gross profit on the table through unbilled fees and underpriced lanes. In this clip from The Freight Buyers' Club, Oliver Gritz, founder and CEO of Ontegos Cloud and former CFO of DHL Express, breaks down where the leakage actually happens and why so many forwarders fail to recover demurrage and other passable charges from their customers. 📌 Key points: • Where the 3-5% gross profit leakage really sits • Why demurrage isn't always passed back to customers by default • The other fees forwarders miss: waiting time, double costing • Why every file deserves a profitability check • The disciplines that separate top forwarders from the rest Produced with the support of Ontegos Cloud, the freight forwarder profitability specialists. 👉 Full episode available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and at thefreightbuyersclub.com #FreightForwarding #SupplyChain #Logistics #Demurrage #FreightBuyersClub

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This Simple Mistake Costs Forwarders Thousands

What really separates great freight forwarders from average ones? In this clip from The Freight Buyers' Club, Oliver Gritz, founder and CEO of Ontegos Cloud and former CFO of DHL Express, argues that forwarding is a business of detail, daily grind and ruthless flexibility. Not a business for the cautious or the procedural. Oliver explains why culture, opportunism and operational discipline define the top performers, and why the wrong mindset will hold a forwarder back at every level of the company. 📌 Key points: • Why culture and mindset matter more than strategy in forwarding • The role of daily operational discipline in profitable forwarders • Why flexibility and opportunism are core values, not soft skills • The kind of operator who actually thrives in freight forwarding Produced with the support of Ontegos Cloud, the freight forwarder profitability specialists. 👉 Full episode available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and at thefreightbuyersclub.com #FreightForwarding #Logistics #SupplyChain #FreightBuyersClub #OntegosCloud

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Only adventurers survive in this business #freight #mindset

Oliver Gritz, founder and CEO of Ontegos Cloud and former CFO of DHL Express, was in Dubai when war broke out in the Middle East. In this clip from The Freight Buyers' Club, he gives a first-hand account of what he saw inside his customer base, why data was the difference between forwarders who reacted in 48 hours and those who didn't, and how the best-organised operators turned a supply chain shock into a profitability uplift. 👉 Full episode available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and at thefreightbuyersclub.com #SupplyChain #MiddleEast #Logistics #FreightForwarding #FreightBuyersClub Oliver Gritz, Founder & CEO of Ontegos Cloud, explains how effective data management was crucial for companies responding quickly to a new situation. He highlights the importance of data science in developing a robust digital marketing strategy. Those with strong data collection capabilities were able to react very fast, demonstrating the value of customer insights in today's market.

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• Inside the Middle East war: who turned crisis into profit?

United Cargo flies to Micronesia, Tel Aviv, Bogotá and Hong Kong to Guam, without owning a single freighter. President Jan Krems tells Mike King at WCS Lima why access to capacity beats ownership every time, and what happens when the bottom falls out of the market and you're stuck with metal you can't fill. A clear-eyed look at the asset-light model from 39 years in air cargo. Full episode of The Freight Buyers' Club out now. Supported by Dimerco Express Group. https://dimerco.com/ #AirCargo #UnitedCargo #Freighters #AirFreight #Logistics #SupplyChain #FreightBuyers #WCSLima The speaker details a strategic approach to air freight, focusing on accessing freighter capacity through partnerships rather than direct ownership. This strategy involves various routes, including daily flights to Micronesia and services to Bogota and Miami, highlighting the importance of efficient logistics. The goal is to expand these opportunities, thereby optimizing cargo movement and strengthening global trade networks.

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"I'll Never Own a Freighter": United Cargo's Jan Krems Explains Why

Thirty-nine years in. Twelve at United. And Jan Krems, President of United Cargo, still thinks cargo is sexy. At WCS Lima, he tells Mike King why 65% of the business is still personal, why face-to-face still wins, and what he means by a "cargo heart", the one thing no tool or algorithm can replace. Full episode on The Freight Buyers' Club. Supported by Dimerco Express Group. #AirCargo #UnitedCargo #CargoIsSexy #FreightBuyers #Logistics #AirFreight #SupplyChain #WCSLima In this video interview, Jan Krems, President of United Cargo, shares his enthusiasm for the freight industry, describing it as "sexy" and enjoyable. He highlights the enduring importance of personal interactions and face to face communication in the logistics business. He believes these relationships are vital for success in air cargo and air freight operations.

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Face-to-Face Still Beats Technology in Cargo #FreightIndustry #PersonalConnection #AirCargo

The largest cargo airline in Latin America is expanding in 2026. LATAM Cargo CEO Andrés Bianchi on what's next for the network. This clip is from the Freight Buyers' Club, produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group — https://dimerco.com/ #AirCargo #Freight #SupplyChain #LATAM #FreightBuyersClub #Logistics #AirFreight

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LATAM Cargo: From 8 Freighters to 19 — and Still Growing

When markets break, most industries struggle. Freight forwarders? They often make more. In this episode of the Freight Buyers’ Club, Oliver Gritz (former CFO of DHL Express and Founder & CEO of Ontegos Cloud) explains why crisis creates opportunity in freight—and why some forwarders thrive while others fall behind. From war-driven disruption and supply chain chaos to liquidity stress and missed revenue, we break down what’s really happening inside freight forwarding in 2026. 👉 If you’re in freight, logistics, or global trade—this is what separates the winners from everyone else. ________________________________________ What you’ll learn: • Why forwarders make more money in volatile markets • The role of data in real-time supply chain decisions • Where forwarders lose 3–5% of profit (and how to fix it) • How top performers manage cash flow under pressure • What “winning the crisis” actually looks like operationally ________________________________________ About the guest: Oliver Gritz is the Founder & CEO of Ontegos Cloud and former CFO of DHL Express. With decades of experience inside global logistics, he now advises freight forwarders on profitability, data, and operational performance. ________________________________________ Listen / follow Freight Buyers’ Club: 🎧 Podcast: https://www.thefreightbuyersclub.com/ 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thefreightbuyersclub2866 #FreightForwarding #Logistics #SupplyChain

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Crisis = Opportunity? Why Forwarders Make More When Markets Break

How do the Gulf's great airlines rebuild after a crisis? Ram Menen - who spent nearly 28 years building Emirates SkyCargo - says the answer is simpler than you might think. Memories are short, the network is potent, and pricing action brings the flow back fast. In this short clip from Air Cargo Unpacked, Ram explains why the Gulf carriers have the tools to recover - and why the network they have built, connecting New Zealand to Santiago with one stop in Dubai, is too powerful to stay down for long. The full episode features exclusive air cargo rate analysis from Neil Wilson and Peyton Burnett at TAC Index, calculating agent for the Baltic Exchange Baltic Air Freight Indices, plus Bachi Spiga from DHL Express Middle East and North Africa on how DHL kept every country in the region served from day two of the conflict. Full episode: ▶️ YouTube: https://youtu.be/YQROEd_DSAc 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5OW32v9r8ZVejCWJ5oiB8r?si=beb29a01eeaf414b 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/air-cargo-unpacked-middle-east-war-fuel-crisis-capacity/id1668766055?i=1000761786379 🌐 thefreightbuyersclub.com: https://www.thefreightbuyersclub.com/podcast/air-cargo-unpacked-middle-east-war-fuel-crisis-capacity-disruption-and-global-fallout/ Produced with the support of Ontegos Cloud, freight forwarder profitability specialists: https://www.ontegos.cloud/ #AirCargo #AirFreight #MiddleEast #GulfAirCargo #Emirates #AirCargoRecovery #AirCargoUnpacked #FreightBuyersClub #OntegosCloud #TACIndex #BalticAirFreightIndex

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Gulf Carriers Will Win Passengers Back Fast | Ram Menen | Air Cargo Unpacked

Air cargo legend Ram Menen gives his recovery timeline for the Middle East crisis - and it is more optimistic than most in the industry are predicting. In this short clip from Air Cargo Unpacked, the man who spent nearly 28 years building Emirates SkyCargo gives his verdict: air cargo back to normal in around a month once the situation resolves, ocean shipping six to nine months. And he is clear that the Gulf is too big and too potent a market for the world to route around permanently. The full episode features exclusive air cargo rate analysis from Neil Wilson and Peyton Burnett at TAC Index, calculating agent for the Baltic Exchange Baltic Air Freight Indices, plus Bachi Spiga from DHL Express Middle East and North Africa on how DHL kept every country in the region served from day two of the conflict. Full episode: ▶️ YouTube: https://youtu.be/YQROEd_DSAc 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5OW32v9r8ZVejCWJ5oiB8r?si=beb29a01eeaf414b 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/air-cargo-unpacked-middle-east-war-fuel-crisis-capacity/id1668766055?i=1000761786379 🌐 thefreightbuyersclub.com: https://www.thefreightbuyersclub.com/podcast/air-cargo-unpacked-middle-east-war-fuel-crisis-capacity-disruption-and-global-fallout/ Produced with the support of Ontegos Cloud, freight forwarder profitability specialists: https://www.ontegos.cloud/ #AirCargo #AirFreight #MiddleEast #GulfAirCargo #Emirates #AirCargoRecovery #AirCargoUnpacked #FreightBuyersClub #OntegosCloud #TACIndex #BalticAirFreightIndex

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Air Cargo Recovers in a Month. Ocean Takes Nine. | Ram Menen | Air Cargo Unpacked

Gulf air cargo hubs have taken a serious hit since the Middle East war began. The world's most strategically positioned freight network is under pressure - and the industry wants to know if it comes back. In this segment from the latest Air Cargo Unpacked, Mike King and Neel Jones Shah sit down with Ram Menen - the man who spent nearly 28 years building Emirates SkyCargo and helped make Dubai one of the great global freight hubs - to ask the question the whole industry is asking: do the Gulf hubs come back, and how long does it take? Mike and Neel cover with Ram: • Why the Gulf's geographic advantage - that midpoint between Asia, Europe and the Americas - became a vulnerability overnight • The belly cargo crisis: Emirates and Qatar Airways carry a huge share of global air freight in their passenger bellies, and passenger confidence is the key variable • Gulf War I, 9/11, SARS, COVID - where Ram ranks this crisis and what past recoveries tell us • Whether forwarders building alternative routes creates a permanent shift in how the market works • Ram's recovery timeline: air cargo comes back faster than ocean shipping Ram's verdict: Gulf War III. Temporary setback, not existential crisis. The full episode also features exclusive air cargo rate analysis from Neil Wilson and Peyton Burnett at TAC Index, calculating agent for the Baltic Exchange Baltic Air Freight Indices, plus Bachi Spiga from DHL Express Middle East and North Africa on how DHL kept every country in the region served from day two of the conflict. Full episode: ▶️ YouTube: https://youtu.be/YQROEd_DSAc 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5OW32v9r8ZVejCWJ5oiB8r?si=beb29a01eeaf414b 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/air-cargo-unpacked-middle-east-war-fuel-crisis-capacity/id1668766055?i=1000761786379 🌐 thefreightbuyersclub.com: https://www.thefreightbuyersclub.com/podcast/air-cargo-unpacked-middle-east-war-fuel-crisis-capacity-disruption-and-global-fallout/ Produced with the support of Ontegos Cloud, freight forwarder profitability specialists: https://www.ontegos.cloud/ #AirCargo #AirFreight #MiddleEast #GulfAirCargo #Emirates #DubaiCargo #AirCargoHubs #AirCargoUnpacked #FreightBuyersClub #OntegosCloud #BalticAirFreightIndex #TACIndex #AirFreightRates #GlobalTrade #SupplyChain #Logistics

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Emirates Legend Ram Menen on the Future of Gulf Air Cargo Hubs

When the Middle East war began, DHL Express had to rewire its entire regional operation almost overnight - and has served every country in the region every day since. In this clip from Air Cargo Unpacked, Bachi Spiga, VP Network Operations at DHL Express Middle East and North Africa, gives a frank account of what happened, how DHL responded, and where things stand now. The full episode also features exclusive air cargo rate analysis from Neil Wilson and Peyton Burnett at TAC Index, calculating agent for the Baltic Exchange Baltic Air Freight Indices, plus Ram Menen - who spent nearly 28 years building Emirates SkyCargo - on whether the Gulf's great air cargo hubs come back from this. Full episode: ▶️ YouTube: https://youtu.be/YQROEd_DSAc 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5OW32v9r8ZVejCWJ5oiB8r?si=beb29a01eeaf414b 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/air-cargo-unpacked-middle-east-war-fuel-crisis-capacity/id1668766055?i=1000761786379 🌐 thefreightbuyersclub.com: https://www.thefreightbuyersclub.com/podcast/air-cargo-unpacked-middle-east-war-fuel-crisis-capacity-disruption-and-global-fallout/ Produced with the support of Ontegos Cloud, freight forwarder profitability specialists: https://www.ontegos.cloud/ #AirCargo #AirFreight #MiddleEast #DHL #LogisticsOperations #AirCargoUnpacked #FreightBuyersClub #OntegosCloud #BalticAirFreightIndex #TACIndex #SupplyChain #Logistics #AirFreightMiddleEast #GulfLogistics #FreightOperations

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War disrupted everything | Here's how DHL responded

Jet fuel has nearly doubled since the Middle East war began. Air cargo rates are at peak season levels in April. And the crisis is spreading well beyond the Gulf. In this clip from Air Cargo Unpacked, Neel Jones Shah breaks down exactly what the jet fuel shock means for air freight operators, freighter capacity and belly cargo - and why the impact will be felt for months even if the conflict ends tomorrow. Key topics covered in this air cargo clip: - Why jet fuel costs are crushing freighter profitability on key lanes - Air New Zealand was the first carrier to cut capacity outside the conflict zone - and why that matters - Route trimming: why freighter operators are cutting unprofitable flying including US to Latin America - Premium vs leisure carriers: why Delta and United are insulated but Spirit, Frontier, AirAsia and Ryanair are not - Why belly cargo capacity is at serious risk as leisure demand evaporates -Fuel hedging: why it protects almost nobody - not a single carrier has 100% hedge coverage - Southeast Asia fuel import dependency: Vietnam, Hong Kong, Australia running dangerously low on refined jet fuel supply This is not just a Middle East story. The jet fuel supply crunch is now a global air cargo capacity problem. Full episode - Air Cargo Unpacked: Middle East War, Fuel Crisis, Capacity Disruption and Global Fallout: https://youtu.be/YQROEd_DSAc Produced with the support of Ontegos Cloud, freight forwarder profitability specialists: https://www.ontegos.cloud/ #AirCargo #AirFreight #JetFuel #FreightRates #MiddleEast #freightbuyersclub #aircargounpacked #OntegosCloud #Logistics #SupplyChain #AirFreightRates #logistics

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Jet Fuel Shortage in Asia — Is This Already a Global Disruption?

Global air cargo rates have surged to peak season levels in April 2026 as the Middle East war disrupts capacity and drives up jet fuel costs. Air freight spot rates on key trade lanes - Europe to UAE, South Asia to Europe, Southeast Asia to North America, and the Transpac - have seen some of the sharpest increases since the conflict began on February 28th. In this clip from Air Cargo Unpacked, Neil Wilson and Peyton Burnett from TAC Index, the leading global price reporting agency on air freight rates and calculating agent for the Baltic Exchange Baltic Air Freight Indices, break down the rate data corridor by corridor. Their weekly heat map tracks exactly how air cargo pricing has moved route by route since the war began - and why rates are flatlining at crisis levels rather than coming down despite the ceasefire announcement. Air cargo capacity in the Gulf region remains at just 57% of pre-conflict levels. Middle Eastern carriers including Emirates and Qatar Airways account for a significant share of global air freight capacity on the most affected lanes. With jet fuel still around 70% above pre-conflict levels, the pressure on air freight rates shows no sign of easing quickly. Full episode: https://youtu.be/YQROEd_DSAc Produced with the support of Ontegos Cloud, freight forwarder profitability specialists: https://www.ontegos.cloud/ #AirCargo #AirFreight #AirCargoRates #FreightRates #MiddleEast #GulfAirCargo #AirCargoCapacity #BalticAirFreightIndex #TACIndex #AirCargoUnpacked #FreightBuyersClub #GlobalTrade #SupplyChain #Logistics #JetFuel #Emirates #QatarAirways

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Middle East War Sends Air Cargo Rates Soaring | TAC Index

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The Freight Buyers' Club in the News

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Container shipping now ‘maxed out’, claims leading shipping analyst | The Loadstar

Why the US ‘freight recession’ impact is heavier fortrans-Pacific container trade than trans-Atlantic | Riviera Maritime Media

Flexport rolling out last-mile e-commerce offering globallyafter Shopify deal | American Journal of Transportation

Plot a (positive) course for air freight rates…if you dare | The Loadstar

Air cargo operators still feel ‘hangover from the 2021 party’ | FreightWaves

‘Whipsaw effect’ on demand and investment will result in consolidation and bankruptcies across freight markets | American Journal of Transportation

India, Vietnam has potential for sourcing: The Freight Buyers’ Club | Stat Times

Container shipping turning the corner in time for peak season, says Rolf Habben Jansen | TradeWinds

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