richard

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 new DHL Global Connectedness Tracker and what it reveals about today’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.

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
 

Shipping analyst Lars Jensen, CEO of Vespucci Maritime, explains to host Mike King how carriers are responding to new US port fees on Chinese-built vessels, the reshuffling of fleets, and why global ship orders aren’t shifting away from China despite the new policy. This extended clip is from The Big Interview – Freight Buyers Club EP54, produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group. https://dimerco.com/ #LarsJensen #FreightBuyersClub #ContainerShipping #USPortFees #CarrierStrategy #ChineseShips #ShipOrders #GlobalTrade #MaritimeLogistics #DimercoExpressGroup

DP World’s John Trenchard explains how one of the world’s largest port and logistics operators is cutting supply chain emissions and shaping the future of sustainable logistics in the UK and worldwide.
Recorded at Sustainable Logistics LIVE in London, this interview features Mike King, host of The Freight Buyers’ Club, in conversation with John Trenchard, Vice President for Sustainable International Supply Chains at DP World.
They discuss: • How DP World is making its UK ports among the lowest-carbon in the world • Practical steps to decarbonise freight and support retailers and shippers • Real-world emission savings and cost impacts • Plans to expand these sustainability initiatives globally • Advice for procurement teams on achieving verified carbon reductions
This interview was produced with the support of Ontegos Cloud. [https://www.ontegos.cloud/]
#DPWorld #SustainableLogistics #SupplyChain #FreightBuyersClub #OntegosCloud #Decarbonisation #GlobalSustainability #Shipping #Ports

Join Mike King at DHL’s brand-new European Innovation Center (EPIC) in Troisdorf, Germany, for an exclusive conversation with Katja Busch, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Customer Solutions & Innovation. Discover how DHL is using robotics, AI and digitalisation to transform supply chains, warehousing and last-mile delivery — and what the future of logistics could look like over the next decade.
This content is produced with the support of Ontegos Cloud. [https://www.ontegos.cloud/]
#DHL #KatjaBusch #Logistics #FreightBuyersClub #AI #Robotics #SupplyChain #Innovation #ontegoscloud

Global liner shipping expert Lars Jensen joins Mike King on the Freight Buyers Club to break down new US port fees, tougher IMO rules and the 2026 container shipping outlook.They discuss:• How carriers are reshuffling fleets in response to US port fees• The impact of IMO carbon charging and green fuels• Transpacific, Asia–Europe, Africa & Australasia trade trends• What happens if the Suez Canal fully reopens Produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group [https://dimerco.com/]#FreightBuyersClub #LarsJensen #ContainerShipping #ShippingForecast #LogisticsPodcast #DimercoExpressGroupChapters00:00:00 Cold Open – US Port Fees, IMO Rules, Suez & 2026 Outlook (Produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group – https://www.dimerco.com/)00:01:00 Intro, Credits & Guest – Lars Jensen joins Freight Buyers Club (+ events & sponsor)00:02:20 US Port Fees Explained – Who pays, when it starts, and how carriers are reshuffling fleets00:05:00 USTR Uncertainty – COSCO/OOCL tactics, China–Mexico shifts, and Seaspan reflagging00:06:20 Competitive Impact – Can carriers pass costs on? COSCO $1.5bn hit and surcharge reality00:09:00 Transpacific Snapshot – Demand, inventories & spot rates00:15:00 Beyond Transpacific – Africa/South America/Europe growth; “cargo finds a way”00:18:00 Asia–Europe Rates – Not ‘free fall’: normalization, capacity via Cape, GRIs & CNY timing00:23:00 IMO MEPC Carbon Charging – Why the October vote matters for green fuels & ship orders00:27:00 2026 Playbook – Recession risk, schedule reliability ~65%, Suez reopening scenario to 2027

Where is air cargo headed next? In this Freight Buyers Club air cargo special, host Mike King is joined by Tom Crabtree, Managing Director at Transport Research Advisors and former Boeing air cargo analyst, and Robert Van de Weg, CEO of ‘mas’ Cargo Airline.
 
Together they cut through the noise to explain today’s air cargo market outlook:
✈️ Global demand and capacity shifts across major trade lanes
Why air cargo rates are holding up better than many expected
The impact of e-commerce growth, tariffs, and de minimis changes
Which regions and commodities are driving opportunities
How airlines and shippers can pivot for the next peak season
 
This is essential listening for freight buyers, forwarders, and supply chain professionals who want straight-talking insights into the future of air cargo and air freight.
 
Episode 53 of the Freight Buyers Club is produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group [https://dimerco.com/].
.

Every 60 days, a container ship fire makes headlines — costing insurers, carriers, shippers and freight forwarders tens or even hundreds of millions. But who really pays when cargo goes up in smoke?
In this episode of the Freight Buyers’ Club, recorded at London International Shipping Week and produced with the support of Ontegos Cloud, Mike King speaks with Chris Grieveson, Managing Partner at Wikborg Rein, about the rising threat of container ship fires, the role of misdeclared cargo, and why “cutting corners” on dangerous goods can come back to burn the entire supply chain.
We dive into:

Why container ship fires are increasing in frequency
How liability, fraud, and general average affect shippers and forwarders
What new screening tools and best practices are emerging
The importance of insurance (and what happens when you don’t have it)

Whether you’re a shipper, forwarder, insurer, or just want to understand the legal and financial fallout from these billion-dollar incidents, this is a must-listen.
Subscribe for more straight-talking insights from the global freight industry.
#Shipping #ContainerFires #FreightForwarding #MaritimeLaw

European trade is being reshaped by US tariffs, shifting supply chains and the EU’s push for customs reform. In this Freight Buyers’ Club clip, Stephen Tracey, Joint General Manager for Europe at WiseTech Global, outlines the impact of tariff shocks, border friction and fragmented systems, and explains how digitalisation and data reuse could change compliance across Europe.
Key points:

Ripple effects of US tariff policy on European importers and manufacturers
Border friction and compliance costs for forwarders
EU Customs Reform Package and ICS2
The role of technology and data reuse in trade

#Tariffs #Customs #Europe #Trade #SupplyChain #logistics

Global trade is being reshaped as old institutions weaken, tariffs reset, and customs systems struggle under pressure. Mike King speaks with Cindy Allen (ex-CBP), Greg Nichols (DHL Global Forwarding), and Stephen Tracey (WiseTech Global) about:

U.S. tariffs, bonds and enforcement
Europe’s customs reforms and Brexit aftershocks
Asia’s new trade blocs and China+1 strategies
The rise of digitalisation and AI in compliance

This is about the future of trade — the risks, the fractures, and the opportunities.
 

2:40 US tariff shocks and CBP under strain

6:20 Border friction and Brexit lessons

11:20 Industry adaptation — volatility, bonds, compliance

18:00 Import strategies, warehousing, front-loading

23:00 Enforcement challenges and risk management

28:20 Transhipment rules explained

32:00 De minimis removal and e-commerce impact

38:10 Geopolitics reshaping trade — WTO, RCEP, BRICS

47:00 Europe’s role — EU customs reforms and regulation

58:20 The digital shift and five-year outlook

 
Guests:

Cindy Allen – CEO, Trade Force Multiplier and former Executive Director at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
Stephen Tracey – Joint General Manager, Europe, WiseTech Global
Greg Nichols – SVP Global Customs Solutions, DHL Global Forwarding

#GlobalTrade #Customs #Tariffs #Transhipment #Trade #supply chain