$36, a pair of tennis shoes, and a class action lawyer walk into federal court

In a nutshell: The Supreme Court struck down IEEPA tariffs. Now the real chaos begins - not in Washington, but in the supply chain, where the question of who actually paid the tariff, and who gets the refund, is triggering a litigation chain that runs from CBP all the way to a guy in Miami who bought trainers from Germany. Matthew Reiser of Miami wanted a pair of tennis shoes. He ordered them from Tennis Warehouse Europe, a retailer in ...

Forwarders warn of supply chain disruption following Iran strikes

Freight forwarders have warned customers to expect delays, disruptions and rising costs following US-Israel missile strikes on Iran and Tehran's retaliatory attacks across the Middle East. In an update, the world's leading airfreight forwarder DSV warned customers to expect extended transit times and irregular schedules and rate increases after carriers suspended Middle East operations as a result of the missile strikes. "As the situation remains uncertain, further adjustments to flight schedules and network coverage may occur at short notice," the forwarder warned. "Customers should anticipate potential delays or even cancellations, space constraints, and short-notice rate adjustments in the coming days and weeks." DSV added that the current disruption is expected to have broader implications beyond the Middle East region as a result of aircraft redeployments, route extensions, service suspensions and a tightening of available capacity across key trade lanes. On the Far East Europe trade, capacity constraints are anticipated, particularly on Far East-Europe and Asia-Middle East corridors. Meanwhile, the company also warned customers to expect upward pressure on airfreight rates due to capacity limitations and airlines introducing war risk surcharges, applicable to shipments routed through or near affected regions. additional surcharge might be implemented at about 10% for the rerouting of the flights due to raised up the cost of fuel for carriers to overfly the risky areas," he said. "But the Chinese export cargo market is still recovering from the Chinese New Year and manufacturing hasn't come to a full circle yet. "So the lack of supply doesn't have that crucial effect on the supply chains as of today. If the situation remains unstable further and will last several weeks, this will lead to the rate growth out of China and the tariffs will depend directly on the airline's rate policy." He also said that jet fuel prices could rise and warned that bellyhold operations could take longer to recover, as their priority will be resolving issues in the passenger market. Artemiy Ivanovskiy, general manager at Air Cargo Global Services DWC-LLC, said that backlogs were already building. "Inbound flows that arrived before the closures remain in place, but without active outbound operations, the usual transfer function of these hubs is paused. "This has led to an accumulation of shipments, including time-sensitive goods, which are being maintained in controlled storage conditions where possible". The two companies - both part of Air Cargo Network - said they are securing block space agreement space at 10-20% above previous levels, as prices are expected to increase to that level, utilising multiple carriers, prioritising urgent cargo and using sea-air for less time-sensitive shipments. The group also recommended that customers develop buffer stock and said that it would implement pre-arrival document checks and integrated customs coordination to reduce clearance bottlenecks when airspace re-opens.

Hapag-Lloyd eyes selective Gemini integration as it plots course for Zim

Hapag-Lloyd chief executive Rolf Habben Jansen struck a careful but confident tone on the carrier's proposed takeover of Zim, signalling strategic intent while keeping operational specifics tightly under wraps. The deal, already signed but still subject to regulatory approval, hinges not only on standard competition clearances but also on Israeli government consent, due to Zim's special state share. Mr Habben Jansen, speaking on the sidelines of TPM in Long Beach yesterday, revealed that Hapag-Lloyd had developed what it believes is a "really good" solution for the golden share, but acknowledged the process would take time, with hopes of concluding the transaction "towards the end of 2026". If the regulatory path is complex, the industrial logic appears clearer. Alphaliner analyst Jan Tiedemann, suggested that Zim's ships were the chief atraction. "ZIM has excellent tonnage. They have a Lots of ships which are fairly modern, fairly big, LNG-powered, so-called green ships. Whether LNG is green or not is debatable. They're very fuel-efficient, so Hapag-Lloyd is keen on that tonnage. He adede that the long-term charter ZIm had been locked into had actually turned out to be long shot-bets that had worked out. "At the time, these charters were seen as expensive. But in the last five years, shipbuilding prices have exploded so by today's standards, if the alternative is ordering new ships now, getting them in three years, financing them, probably these same charters, which they may have committed to, are a bargain. Mr Habben Jansen repeatedly stressed that "Zim is a really good company" and that its strengths would not simply be dismantled. "Whenever they have a strength that would make the combined business better, we will try to keep that," he said. A "considerable chunk of the network" would likely be folded into the Gemini Cooperation, strengthening scale and density where appropriate. But he was equally clear that integration would not be blind. The emphasis was on building on what works and avoiding unnecessary disruption - a message aimed as much at customers as competitors. That approach extends to market positioning. Asked about perceptions of Zim as a "value" carrier and Hapag-Lloyd as a "quality" operator, Mr Habben Jansen pushed back: "Value and quality is not that far apart." He pointed to complementary niche products and suggested that greater scale would create opportunities for more differentiation, not less. The underlying message was clear: retaining Zim's cargo base will be central to the merger's success. The more delicate issue is Zim's existing cooperation with MSC. Mr Habben Jansen declined to speculate on contractual details, noting such arrangements are confidential, but indicated that outcomes would ultimately depend on discussions between the parties. Not all Zim vessels are tied into that cooperation, leaving room for flexibility, and he stressed that relations with MSC remain constructive. One aside concerned Gold Star Line, Zim's Asia-focused subsidiary. Mr Habben Jansen described it as "a quite interesting construct" and said Hapag-Lloyd has "some ideas" about how to leverage it, though "not shared here". The remark hints at potential strategic value in maintaining or repurposing the brand, but no firm direction was disclosed. The acquisition will also reshape Hapag-Lloyd's fleet profile. Zim's relatively high share of chartered tonnage would increase flexibility, something Mr Habben Jansen framed as an advantage if markets turn volatile in 2027-29. Overall, the tone was measured optimism. The transaction is about scale within Gemini, preserving niches and adding flexibility, rather than sweeping restructuring. But until regulatory approvals are secured and discussions with MSC conclude, much of the operational blueprint will remain behind closed doors.