Michael King

Exclusive appearance on The Freight Buyers’ Club podcast reveals aggressive new approach to protecting U.S. shippers and investigating foreign trade barriers   London, February 11, 2026 Newly appointed Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Chair Laura DiBella has outlined a fundamental shift in the agency’s mission, describing the FMC as evolving into a “consumer protection agency” with…

Freight markets are volatile, trade rules are tightening, and decarbonization is falling off the agenda. Where does that leave global shippers?   In the latest episode of the Freight Buyers’ Club, we hear directly from three experts at the forefront of global trade disruption: Wolfgang Lehmacher, an independent supply chain and logistics strategist; Kathy Liu, VP…

Big shippers are sounding the alarm on tariffs, sourcing shifts, and container contracts. In Episode 50 of The Freight Buyers’ Club, retail, tech and freight leaders share how they’re navigating 2025’s shipping storm. Episode 50 of The Freight Buyers’ Club – produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group – marks a milestone: three heavyweight shipper representatives reveal how the…

From May 2025, low-value shipments from China and Hong Kong lost their U.S. duty-free status. On 29 August, that de minimis exemption will be suspended worldwide – disrupting cross-border e-commerce, shifting trade lanes, and forcing forwarders, integrators and carriers to rethink strategy. Episode #49 of The Freight Buyers’ Club – produced with the support of MSC Air…

The air cargo industry is facing major disruption and a possible slump, Neel Jones Shah, former senior executive at Flexport, Delta Airlines and United Cargo, tells the latest episode of The Freight Buyers’ Club Insight series. At the centre of the shake-up? Trump’s new tariffs, which could hit e-commerce exports from China to the U.S….

December 2, 2024 There has been a surprisingly measured response from international shippers facing potential new tariffs next year from the incoming Donald Trump administration. Speaking on the latest episode of The Freight Buyers’ Club podcast (see video clip below), Kathy Liu, Dimerco Express Group Vice President, said most shippers and exporters to the U.S. were taking…

October 17, 2024 With the U.S. presidential election approaching on 5 November, the contrasting trade positions of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump are creating uncertainty for U.S. shippers, tech companies and global supply chains. While neither candidate is a staunch proponent of free trade, Harris has signalled a cautious approach that…

As a potential East Coast dockworkers’ strike looms in October, shippers turning to air freight to stock holiday inventory face surging prices and capacity shortages. September 17, 2024  Air cargo markets are expected to overheat during the upcoming fourth-quarter peak season, with rising prices and limited capacity now almost inevitable. Even before the holiday shipping…

With contract negotiations at a stalemate, the possibility of a U.S. East Coast dockworkers’ strike threatens to paralyze global container shipping, impacting millions of TEUs and leaving terminals idle. September 5, 2024 Global container shipping markets could face a significant shock, one that they are ill-prepared to handle, if dockworkers at U.S. ports go on…

August 8, 2024 Shippers should anticipate continued volatility in container shipping freight markets through 2025, with even the re-start of operations through the Suez Canal not guaranteeing immediate respite from disruptions and soaring freight rates, according to Lars Jensen, CEO of Vespucci Maritime. The renowned container shipping analyst and consultant outlined various Red Sea crisis…