A Melange of Bits and Pieces of Global News You Might Have Missed

DENMARK – WORLDWIDE – Following the fashion of both shipping lines and major ports Maersk has continued a policy of widening the logistics services on offer by introducing Maersk Flow, a digital platform to assist SMEs with their supply chain operations. Maersk says many of these enterprises operate manually via spreadsheets, emails and phone calls and claim the new system ensures that the flow of goods and documents is executed as planned.

NORWAY – US – Ballast water treatment company Optimarin has tied up an agreement with the Lee Engineering Supply Company to warehouse critical spare parts and plans to expand its global service network. Optimarin was the first such company to achieve full USCG approval and the first to offer a full five-year parts and servicing guarantee on fleet agreements. In the last five years, the company has sold more than 1000 units and is now strengthening its global network of service and spare parts to be first in customer service.

Now Louisiana based Lee will be able to provide after-sale service to customers in the Gulf of Mexico with the ability to deliver same day for regularly required parts such as UV lamps and the quartz glass coverings that protect them.

EUROPE – CHINA – Battery expert Hoppecke has signed a Europe-wide partner agreement with CATL, the claimed world market leader in lithium-ion batteries for domestic and commercial electric vehicles and energy storage systems. The deal secures a pan-European contract for servicing CATL battery systems. Hoppecke will be responsible for testing, repairing and replacing the CATL lithium-ion batteries installed in electrically-powered vehicles across the UK and Europe, initially with a focus on vans and buses.

CATL, based in Fujian 700 kilometres south of Shanghai, has R&D and manufacturing capabilities throughout the automotive supply chains and energy storage sectors, focusing on the manufacture and sales of EV battery and energy storage systems. It has established joint ventures and partnerships with some of the world's largest automotive companies, with vans being an increasingly important sector for electrically powered vehicles.

MEXICO – CEVA Logistics Mexico has been appointed to operate a new dedicated warehouse to support IKEA operations in the country. The pair already cooperate at other global locations. IKEA is the world’s largest furniture retailer with this being its first retail location in Latin America. CEVA will be responsible for all operational activities of the new distribution centre and will utilise its Matrix® IT platform to manage all the warehouse processes.

US – With the world having changed as regards travel restrictions one area which some will have to be wary of is the carriage of pets by air. This month the credit card sponsored site Million Mile Secrets has published a blog which contains a chart of the latest rules applying to individual airlines due to Covid-19. Anyone flying with their pet will be well advised to check exactly what the current status of their intended carrier is before booking.

QATAR – It would seem the pandemic has not hit everybody equally as this week catch all group Qatar Navigation (Milaha) Q.P.S.C., which numbers maritime and logistics prominently amongst its interests, revealed an operating profit of Qatari Rial (QAR) 254 million $70 million) for the six months ended June 30, 2020, up from QAR 233 million for the same period in 2019.

Net profit meanwhile shrunk just QAR16 million ($4.4 million) to QAR 300 million and operating revenues by 3.2%, down to QAR1.2 billion. Logistics and Maritime were hardest hit whilst Energy and Offshore did relatively well, the wide portfolio protecting the company from some of the worst effects felt in so many other industrial groups.