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Issue 5 2021 - Freight Business Journal


///NEWS


DHL Supply Chain has started construction of its new London Thames Gateway distribution centre. The new facility will be fully operational in spring 2023, with Mars UK already committed to occupying 60% of the site. It will have a 42m high bay


warehouse with an ‘outstanding’ rating from construction sustainability standard BREEAM, an internal volume equivalent to 645 Olympic swimming pools and sophisticated automation. The new site is one of two new


warehouses under construction, the other being located in the East Midlands. Representing an investment of £350m, the two


Insurance Pest tests bug container shippers


There are calls afoot for intrusive inspections of import and export freight to counter the risks of invasive pests in cargo and containers. They risk disrupting trade more severely than either Covid or the Suez blockage, warns TT Club’s Peregrine Storrs-Fox.


Steps being considered by governments worried about pest control – under the auspices of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) – include a potential mandatory ‘Certificate of Cleanliness’ for all containers prior to loading on board ship. The Cargo Integrity Group


(CIG) partners, of which TT is one, are firmly opposed to the proposed sweeping mandatory


requirements,


while recognising that strenuous action is required to control the risks from invasive pest contamination. The cost of certifying the 220 million container movements a year would clearly be substantial, estimated at around US$20 billion a year, a burden that would fall disproportionately on exporting countries. Moreover, the infrastructure necessary


– for both


governments and industry – to implement certification


could gridlock global trade. The


CIG has submitted


a statement pinpointing the impractical nature of the certification proposal. It also expresses serious concern over


the infestation issue


and the Group’s desire to help configure proportionate and effective solutions to reduce the risks, recognising that they are more serious for certain types of goods, regions and times of year. The CIG recommendations revolve around a more sensible


use of scarce


resources in providing proper risk assessments in identifiable trades of prime concern, where measures can be mandated as needed. While the CIG accepts there


are risks to be addressed, it says these are not significant for the vast majority of trade. The five partners in the


CIG recognise that it is vital to focus on the threat of invasive pests to natural resources, and of the urgency in crafting


risk reduction measures that address the situation. It is committed to ensuring that international trade is conducted in a safe, secure and environmentally sustainable manner and addressing the transfer of invasive pests between different natural ecosystems is very much a part of that. The CIG rigorously promotes


the use of the Code of Practice for the Packing of Cargo Transport Units, published by the IMO, the ILO and the UNECE. The Group published its Quick Guide to the CTU Code to increase awareness of the framework of good practice in relation to all aspects of cargo packing, including addressing phytosanitary concerns and reflecting the Code’s Chapter 8 and Annex 6. It is calling for urgent


action to reduce the risk of pest transference through international cargo movements. At the same time, it encourages all stakeholders to understand the international debate around invasive pests and be prepared to work with industry counterparts


and


governments to ensure trade continues uninterrupted. Without seeking to over-


simplify or claim to be exhaustive, here are some tips: • Container


operators


should ensure that any storage of units is on hard, well- drained surfaces, away from vegetation. When releasing units for packing, ensure that


sites will reduce Mars’ outbound logistics carbon footprint in the UK by 7.7%. Genesee & Wyoming’s


container services arm Pentalver Transport has also started work on Phase 3 of its terminal development at Berth 7, DP World London Gateway. Pentalver first began operating


on the site in 2014, shortly aſter the port opened in November 2013 and has expanded the operation to its present capacity of 4,000teu. Phase 3 of the development,


which is planned to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2021, will increase maintenance, repair and reefer operations and boost overall capacity to 7,400teu. It will also become a 24-hour operation.


they are checked for pest contamination, including the base, where possible. Consider also contractual obligations with depots. • Shippers, including


beneficial cargo owners, should consider the impact of their procurement and fulfilment actions, specifically here relating to pest contamination risks at the point of packing. • Packers should be alert to all


aspects of pest contamination risks throughout the process, taking into account the immediate environment, time of year and use of artificial lighting, for example. • Intermodal carriers,


particularly by road, should consider routing of vehicles to minimise the contamination risks, for example from debris thrown up from unmade surfaces. • Receivers should ensure


after unpacking that the container is clean and pest free.


• Anyone who spots pest


infestations of any description on, or in, containers or their cargoes should alert, as relevant, national plant protection or animal quarantine agencies. The industry must remain


vigilant against potential risks, and once more pull together in advising the regulators on the best course of action in ensuring the minority of rogue operators comply with best practice standards of safety.


Seabridge chief operations officer Terry Sweeney has been elected president of the Irish International Freight Association (IIFA), the representative body for forwarders and customs brokers. He replaces Bob Rainsford of Forward Direct who has served for three terms. Mr Sweeney has served on IIFA Council for several years, most recently as honorary secretary and was an active member of IIFA Council when the association hosted the 2016 FIATA World Congress in Dublin in 2016. John Dunne of Foremost Freight becomes honorary treasurer and Sandra Morrissey of Eastway Global Forwarding honorary secretary.


News Roundup Forwarding & Logistics


Rachel Morley has succeeded John Stubbings as the elected national chair of the British International Freight Association (BIFA) for two years. She is regional manager Western Europe at BIFA member company, OIA Global and has been vice-chair for the past two years. She also chairs BIFA’s Midlands region. Charles Hogg, commercial director of Unsworth and currently chair of BIFA’s maritime, road and rail policy group has been elected vice-chair. John Stubbings becomes immediate past chair for two years and Sir Peter Bottomley, MP, remains BIFA president.


Peter Ward is to step down as chief executive of the UK Warehousing Association (UKWA) aſter six years in the role. His successor will be named shortly. UKWA said that since joining, he had transformed the fortunes of the Association, substantially improving revenues, widening membership and introducing significant new membership benefits. Chair of the UKWA management board Nicola Ridges-Jones added: “We wish him every success as he steps into semi-retirement to pursue personal interests.”


Liverpool forwarding and logistics company Brunswick International has moved its headquarters from Sandhills Lane to Hunts Cross. The new premises offers a customs bond as well as more storage space and a temperature controlled capacity.


Rhenus has opened a fourth site on Magna Park in Lutterworth. It will be used as a dedicated solution for new business in machinery manufacturing. Rhenus Warehousing Solutions Lutterworth, formerly CML, has been operating on Magna Park for 22 years and already occupies three warehouses on the park. The latest building gives Rhenus a total of just over 650,000 square feet (60,300 square metres) of space or 70,000 pallet locations.


Yusen Logistics (UK) has appointed Paul Simmonds as head of air freight forwarding and Pete Bagnall as head of ocean freight forwarding. Paul Simmonds has held various UK and regional operations roles at Luſthansa Cargo, Schenker, CEVA and CH Robinson and joined YLUK in July 2019 as branch manager at Egham. Pete Bagnall joined Yusen Logistics (UK) as an analyst in 2001 and has held several management and operational management roles.


DHL Supply Chain has appointed Marion Taylor-Ringsell as vice president of operations, UK and Ireland. She joins from retailer Gap where she was director of European transportation. In her new role she will manage DHL Supply Chain’s asset management centre of excellence with responsibility for vehicle procurement, fuel purchasing, compliance, engineering and facilities maintenance.


Rhenus has appointed Harry Wheelhouse as European sector manager. He joined the commercial team at Rhenus Warehousing Solutions in March aſter a ten-year career in the logistics industry with Royal Mail Group and third-party logistics companies, developing e-commerce fulfilment solutions and online services.


An Extraordinary General Assembly Meeting of Agility approved the sale of its Global Integrated Logistics (GIL) business to DSV Panalpina on 23 May. The acquisition will be an all-share transaction and closing is expected in the third quarter of 2021. Agility will become the second largest shareholder in DSV with an approximate 8% stake in the combined company.


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