The Freight Buyers' Club

Mike King
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Business News
  • Updated Monthly

The Freight Buyers’ Club podcast is a new home for anyone with a professional interest in international trade, container shipping, procurement, logistics and air cargo. Each episode your host, award-winning journalist Mike King, will be speaking to leading decision-makers, analysts, journalists, operators and shippers to get their take on current freight and logistics markets and the challenges and opportunities ahead. You can subscribe to receive each episode direct to your inbox at: thefreightbuyersclub.com

  1. 13h ago

    Container Shipping Now: Carrier Profits, Reliability & the Weather Threatening Peak Season, with Nils Roche (Solvens Advisory) and Mark Chadwick (Global Shippers' Association)

    Container carriers are pulling sailings on purpose, missing their own reliability targets, and posting some of their strongest profits in years. Mike King is joined by Nils Roche, Founder of Solvens Advisory and a former liner executive with senior roles at CMA CGM, Maersk and PIL, and Mark Chadwick, President of the Global Shippers' Association, representing some of the world's biggest cargo owners. He's one of the largest buyers in the industry, purchasing shipping capacity from both forwarders and carriers on behalf of his members. Topics include: carrier Q2 results, the gap between carrier reliability data and what shippers are actually experiencing, a 215% rise in blank sailings on some Asia lanes, the latest on Hormuz and Red Sea routing, a forecast "Godzilla" El Niño, record-low Rhine water levels, Panama Canal draft restrictions, and the current US tariff picture. This episode is sponsored by Dimerco Express Group (https://dimerco.com/), your trading partner connecting Asia with the US and beyond. Big thanks to Xeneta for sharing their exclusive reliability data.   Notes Links to Nils Roche, 2025 prediction on The Freight Buyers’ Club: https://youtube.com/shorts/-xxM1JS3mOU Link Hapag-Lloyd Vs US Retailers: Container Rates, Tariffs, ZIM And What Happens Next featuring Torsten Hartmann from Hapag-Lloyd and Jon Gold is VP for Supply Chain and Customs Policy at the National Retail Federation. https://youtu.be/HAeb1TjRupE Articles: Asian port congestion forcing container lines back to the Red Sea https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/containers/asian-port-congestion-forcing-container-lines-back-to-the-red-sea Rhine cut in two as European drought cripples inland shipping https://splash247.com/rhine-cut-in-two-as-european-drought-cripples-inland-shipping/   #ContainerShipping #SupplyChain #FreightBuyersClub #OceanFreight #Logistics #PeakSeason #Reliability #RedSea #ElNino #Tariffs

    Container Shipping Now: Carrier Profits, Reliability & the Weather Threatening Peak Season, with Nils Roche (Solvens Advisory) and Mark Chadwick (Global Shippers' Association)

  2. Aug 12

    The Critical Window: Why Aerion is Moving Now

    Mike King speaks with Adrien Thominet, Chairman and Founder of AERION, about why the GSSA model at the heart of air cargo is being reinvented from the ground up. Thominet explains how AERION has moved beyond the classic GSSA structure, building out dedicated arms for pharma (Healthcare), e-commerce (Mail & More), total cargo management (TCE) and digital transformation (CargoTech), all under one corporate umbrella. He makes the case that airlines are increasingly comfortable outsourcing more of their commercial and operational activity, and why AERION believes there's a limited window to lead that shift before the air cargo industry consolidates around a smaller number of players. The conversation covers: Why AERION thinks the GSSA concept needs to evolve into something closer to a "general logistics agent" How network scale let AERION pivot capacity from Dubai to Lebanon within weeks during regional disruption Where air cargo trade lanes are shifting, from China-to-Brazil e-commerce growth to hyperscaler demand out of Asia Dynamic pricing, shrinking planning windows, and why shippers are being pushed toward shorter-term commitments Which region Thominet flags as air cargo's most fragile market right now A hint at two acquisitions AERION plans to announce in the coming months This episode is brought to you by Dimerco Express Group, connecting Asia with the world: https://www.dimerco.com/ Guest: Adrien Thominet, Chairman & Founder, AERION LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrien-thominet-48585371/ Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/we-are-aerion/ #AirCargo #FreightForwarding #GSSA #Logistics #SupplyChain #AERION #AirFreight #GlobalTrade #Aviation #CargoIndustry

    The Critical Window: Why Aerion is Moving Now

  3. Aug 6

    Global GSA Group CEO Aytekin Saray on Consolidation, the Amazon Question, and Expansion into Africa, India and the Gulf

    Aytekin Saray, CEO of Global GSA Group, joins The Freight Buyers Club at Air Cargo China in Shanghai to explain where he sees air cargo's next growth, and why much of it sits in markets the GSA sector has underserved. Saray describes Africa as a major gap, with the Indian subcontinent, South America and the Middle East close behind, and says even competitors are thin on the ground in some of these regions. He talks through the group's moves into Egypt and Pakistan, an imminent Pakistan announcement, and his interest in Saudi Arabia. He argues that political tension, which he sees as more US and Western in origin, keeps re-engineering trade routes, and that the cargo industry feels the impact first. The conversation also covers the case for consolidation among GSAs, Saray's warning that too many unregulated players are undercutting rates, the shift from selling capacity to total corridor management, the role of CargoTech and automation in a more integrated GSA model, and what Amazon, UPS and e-commerce mean for the business. Saray predicts most of the market will still rely on GSAs. Guest: Aytekin Saray, CEO, Global GSA Group. Recorded at Air Cargo China, Shanghai. This episode is brought to you by Dimerco Express Group, your freight forwarder for connections from Asia to the rest of the world: https://dimerco.com/ #AirCargo #AirFreight #GSA #Logistics #SupplyChain #FreightForwarding #Cargo #AirCargoChina #GlobalGSAGroup #CargoTech #Ecommerce #Africa #India #MiddleEast #TheFreightBuyersClub #Dimerco

    Global GSA Group CEO Aytekin Saray on Consolidation, the Amazon Question, and Expansion into Africa, India and the Gulf

  4. Jul 29

    Air Cargo Unpacked: Anchorage sizzles as Asia-Europe cools

    Anchorage keeps growing while air cargo from Asia to Europe falls away. Same freight, opposite directions. Mike King and Neel Jones Shah unpack a freight market pulling apart, with Sean Dolan of NorthLink Aviation on why Ted Stevens Anchorage is booming, and Neil Wilson of TAC Index, calculating agent for the Baltic Air Freight Indices, on rates and jet fuel. Also this month: war and tariffs reshaping the map, the end of EU de minimis, the AI and semiconductor boom filling Asian carriers, Farnborough's order book, Dimerco's survey of 57 Asia-Pacific shippers, and Glyn Hughes handing over the top job at TIACA to Mammen Tharakan. Produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group, your partner for Asia sourcing, manufacturing and China-plus-one supply chains. https://dimerco.com/ 00:00 Welcome and coming up this month 01:00 Two disruptions: war and tariffs 02:00 Houthis blockade Saudi Arabia, Red Sea at risk 04:00 Neel on the Middle East and the tariff scramble 08:00 Asia-Europe volumes collapse after de minimis 11:00 Anchorage: the world's third-busiest cargo hub 12:00 Sean Dolan: what's driving Anchorage's growth 13:00 Sean Dolan: the route picture and peak season 14:00 Neel: e-commerce, AI, and the transpacific boom 16:00 Neel: the debt behind the AI cargo boom 18:00 Rates: Neil Wilson, TAC Index 22:00 Seoul and Taiwan: the semiconductor lanes 24:00 Jet fuel: why it's not feeding through yet 29:00 Farnborough: MSC's order and DHL's converted freighter 32:00 Dimerco's shipper survey and ocean volatility 36:00 TIACA: Glyn Hughes hands over to Mammen Tharakan #AirCargo #Logistics #SupplyChain #Freight #AirCargoUnpacked

    Air Cargo Unpacked: Anchorage sizzles as Asia-Europe cools

  5. Jul 23

    Rates, tariffs, ZIM and what happens next, with Hapag-Lloyd and US retailers

    US container imports are heading for a record month, and then four months of decline. Mike King puts that to both sides of the transpacific: Torsten Hartmann, who runs the trade for Hapag-Lloyd, and Jon Gold of the National Retail Federation, representing America's retailers. They discuss where contract rates landed, why Hapag-Lloyd's long term rates are barely breaking even, what the ZIM deal would mean for the transpacific, and what happens to importers as one tariff expires and several more line up behind it. Produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group. https://dimerco.com/ 00:00 Welcome 02:00 2026 in three words 03:15 Hormuz and uncertainty 05:50 Spot rates and contracts 08:55 Hapag-Lloyd's profit upgrade 10:50 Surcharges and the FMC 13:40 Capacity and blank sailings 17:15 Hapag-Lloyd's transpacific outlier 18:58 The ZIM deal 20:20 Consolidation and the regulator 21:15 A record month, then the drop 23:10 Imports against the consumer 24:45 The tariff queue 27:45 Forced labour tariffs 30:10 Tariff refunds 31:55 Sourcing and investment 33:00 De minimis and e-commerce 36:40 The shift to Southeast Asia 37:30 Planning around policy 38:40 As good as it gets? 39:55 One ask each 42:30 Terminal handling charges

    Rates, tariffs, ZIM and what happens next, with Hapag-Lloyd and US retailers

  6. Jul 13

    Lufthansa Cargo's Carolin Gerstenmaier on Semiconductors, Pharma and Ten Flights Per Chip

    Carolin Gerstenmaier, Head of Industry Development at Lufthansa Cargo, joins the Freight Buyers Club at Air Cargo China in Shanghai to talk through the two highest value, fastest growing industries in air freight: semiconductors and pharma. She walks through why a single chip can involve up to ten separate air freight movements, how semiconductor manufacturing has shifted from the US and Europe to Asia over the last 30 years, and why radioactive cancer treatments are now flight critical logistics, needing to reach a patient within 24 hours. The conversation also covers sustainability pressure from customers, AI and real time tracking, and how Lufthansa Cargo's network adapts to geopolitical disruption. This episode is sponsored by Dimerco Express Group, connecting Asia to the rest of the world. Find out more at https://dimerco.com/ Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:41 Pharma and semiconductors: the growth outlook 01:56 How semiconductor demand has shifted to Asia 02:56 Why semiconductors aren't a one size fits all business 03:57 Building a consistent modular offer across the supply chain 04:41 China plus one and the shift in manufacturing origin 06:04 Lufthansa Cargo's role across the supply chain 06:41 Pharma: the second largest growing industry 07:38 Blockbuster medicine versus specialised, individualised medicine 08:52 Cold chain, speed and flight critical logistics 09:24 Sustainability and AI driven tracking 10:59 Geopolitics, tariffs and network adaptability 12:14 Compliance, certification and the GDP/CEIV framework 13:37 Where semiconductors and pharma go next

    Lufthansa Cargo's Carolin Gerstenmaier on Semiconductors, Pharma and Ten Flights Per Chip

  7. Jul 6

    CargoTech's President on Consolidating Air Cargo's Software | Exclusive

    Recorded at Air Cargo China in Shanghai, Mike sits down with Cédric Millet, President of CargoTech, for an exclusive look at how one company is pulling air cargo's software under a single roof. CargoTech is a holding company, backed by the same owner as ECS Group, the world's largest cargo GSA. It brings together specialist software companies, each focused on its own domain. Millet's pitch is a simple one: "we know cargo." He argues that because the portfolio's leaders came out of airlines, forwarders and GSAs, their software is built to solve cargo's real pain points, a claim he draws in contrast to the wave of generic tech newcomers now entering the space. What Mike and Cédric get into: Millet's case for why a group of specialists beats one do-everything platform The "we know cargo" argument, and why he thinks domain expertise wins How the group aims to cover the airline's full commercial chain, from capacity and revenue management to forecasting, distribution and charters His claim that CargoTech covers around 75% of airline needs today, and plans to expand into cargo operations, compliance and sanctions checks The 105 airlines and 20,000+ forwarders he says are connected The new Kuala Lumpur hub Why he sees clean data as the foundation Where AI actually fits, with Millet framing co-pilots and agentic automation as tools rather than the headline This episode of The Freight Buyers Club is brought to you by Dimerco Express Group, your forwarding partner for transport from Asia to the rest of the world. Big thanks to Dimerco for supporting independent journalism. Find out more at https://dimerco.com/ Guest: Cédric Millet, President of CargoTech, and Chief Strategy & Digital Officer, ECS Group

    CargoTech's President on Consolidating Air Cargo's Software | Exclusive

  8. Jul 2

    Straight From Shanghai: China's Shipping and Air Cargo Read

    Mike King is in Shanghai for Air Cargo China, and he sat down with Kathy Liu, VP global sales and marketing at Dimerco Express Group, for a fast read on what is really moving across ocean and air. Container rates have climbed since March, and Kathy explains the mix behind it: vessels tied up by Middle East disruption, a shortage of empty boxes at key Asian origins, and shippers front-loading ahead of tariff deadlines. Peak season has arrived early on the transpacific, though underlying demand is flat, so it may fade early too. She maps where congestion has moved, from an automated Shanghai that is coping to multi-day berth waits at Nhava Sheva, Colombo and Singapore. On air cargo, the AI and data centre boom is rewriting the map. Taiwan to US capacity is tight and rates are high, a run Kathy expects to last three to five years. Components are being pulled towards AI builds ahead of laptops and PCs, which points to a consumer electronics squeeze later in the year. She closes on the sourcing shift into Mexico, Vietnam and West Africa, and why Chinese companies still hold most of the freight decisions. Her advice for shippers: stay agile, and watch the market daily. #Shipping #AirCargo #SupplyChain #Freight #ContainerShipping Timestamped show notes 00:00 Live from Dimerco's Shanghai office, ahead of Air Cargo China 01:00 Dimerco's China footprint: 70-plus offices, air, ocean, customs and bonded 01:30 Why ocean rates have soared since March 02:30 The empty container shortage at Asian origins 03:30 Fuel surcharges, transit times, and shippers switching to sea-air and cross-border trucking 04:30 An early peak season, but flat underlying demand 05:30 Port congestion: Shanghai coping, Nhava Sheva, Colombo and Singapore not 06:30 The Red Sea and Hormuz knock-on for congestion 07:00 Carrier consolidation and what shippers actually care about 08:00 EU de minimis ends, and why e-commerce volumes are holding 09:30 The AI and data centre boom driving air cargo 11:00 Taiwan to US capacity crunch, and components diverted from laptops 13:00 Is this structural or a spike? Kathy's three to five year view 14:30 Sourcing shifts into Mexico, Vietnam and West Africa 16:00 Why Chinese companies still control the freight 17:00 Kathy's advice for shippers in a black swan market

    Straight From Shanghai: China's Shipping and Air Cargo Read
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The Freight Buyers’ Club podcast is a new home for anyone with a professional interest in international trade, container shipping, procurement, logistics and air cargo. Each episode your host, award-winning journalist Mike King, will be speaking to leading decision-makers, analysts, journalists, operators and shippers to get their take on current freight and logistics markets and the challenges and opportunities ahead. You can subscribe to receive each episode direct to your inbox at: thefreightbuyersclub.com

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