COP27 and the Paris Agreement

By |2022-11-07T12:49:49+01:00November 7th, 2022|

The United Nations Climate Change Conference COP27, taking place from November 6 until November 8, aims at ensuring full implementation of the Paris Agreement. Since COP26 in Glasgow, only 29 out of 194 countries came forward with tightened national plans. The Conference is taking place against the backdrop of multiple crises in energy, food, water and

Asian Logistics, Maritime and Aviation Conference, Nov 22-23

By |2022-10-28T09:15:44+02:00October 28th, 2022|

The annual Asian Logistics, Maritime and Aviation Conference (ALMAC), which is jointly organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), will take place on Nov 22-23 this year. This year’s ALMAC will continue to run on a hybrid mode under the theme of “The

WCO-WTO workshop on changes to the Harmonized System

By |2022-10-24T17:10:39+02:00October 24th, 2022|

In the course of the joint workshop held by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) on October 17, a debate was held on the periodical update of the Harmonized System (HS), i.e. the international nomenclature that allows countries to classify traded goods in a standardized manner. As regards the main reasons

Congestion chaos overshadows volume recovery

By |2022-10-17T12:51:22+02:00October 17th, 2022|

In the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, in the year 2021 the global container port sector was in recovery mode. At the same time, it is regrettable to note that supply chain disruption was a dominant feature. North America’s major ports (and especially US ones) were unable to cope with sustained strong demand in the

Dombrovskis speech on “Power and Alliances: The Transatlantic Partnership in a Changing World”

By |2022-10-17T12:22:09+02:00October 17th, 2022|

In the course of his Keynote Address at Harvard Law School Event on "Power and Alliances: The Transatlantic Partnership in a Changing World", Executive Dombrovskis stressed the importance of strengthening EU-China trade and engaging with China with pragmatism and without naivety. "We recognise that our trading relationship needs more balance and reciprocity. And working with the U.S.,

ASEAN and the EU sign the world’s first bloc-to-bloc Air Transport Agreement

By |2022-10-17T10:12:15+02:00October 17th, 2022|

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU) and its member states have signed the Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement between the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the European Union and its member states (“ASEAN-EU CATA”) at the 28th ASEAN Transport Ministers’ Meeting on 17 October 2022, in

Charter on improving the treatment of drivers

By |2022-10-12T15:45:01+02:00October 12th, 2022|

On October 11, 2022, Jordi Espin Vallbona, ESC’s Strategic Relations Manager, took part in an event organised by the International Road Transport Union (IRU) at the European Parliament. He delivered a speech about the Charter “Improving the treatment of drivers at collection and delivery sites”. Please, see a full summary of the speech below.  

Global Shippers’ Alliance publishes manifesto on minimal service levels in maritime container transport

By |2022-10-11T14:31:05+02:00October 11th, 2022|

Bangkok, Thailand, 11th October 2022 The goal of this manifesto is to describe a minimal level of service and fair treatment that shippers can expect in maritime container transport. It works as a benchmark to assess services offered and delivered by carriers. It can be seen as a suggestion for a Bill of Cargo Rights.

DDG Paugman: mix of trade and sustainability to shape the sustainable trade policy of the future

By |2022-10-03T12:03:02+02:00October 3rd, 2022|

On September 26, 2022, in the context of a speech delivered to the Graduate Institute’s “Geneva Trade Week”, WTO’s Deputy Director-General Jean-Marie emphasised the need to mix classical trade policy and environmental sustainability to shape the sustainable trade policy of the future. This becomes increasingly important as climate change affects trade patterns and value chains,

Washington will confer with Seoul on EV subsidy apprehension

By |2022-10-03T12:01:09+02:00October 3rd, 2022|

The US Inflation Reduction Act and the related possibility of enacted electric vehicle (EV) subsidies which might threaten Asian automakers represent a serious concern for South Korea. However, the United States said to understand such concerns and ensured that the Korean Government will keep being consulted and taken into account as the law is implemented.