Weekly Logistics Briefing Key logistics updates for the week (Week 1 of Dec 2024)

On Tuesday, November 26, customs auditors from the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service began an indefinite nationwide strike demanding salary adjustments. Sindifisco Nacional, the union representing federal auditors, said in a statement that 30% of workers will continue to work. The strike affects all ports and airports nationwide, impacting the clearance of both import and export cargo, as well as the boarding and disembarkation of ship crews.

Several Italian labor unions are scheduled to stage a nationwide general strike on November 29. The strike is to blame the government's recent budget and demand higher wages for union members. Ground crew members at Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) and Linate Airport (LIN) will strike at 00:01-23:59. Air traffic control (ATC) staff will also go on strike at 00:01-23:59 on November 29.

As of November 27, railway traffic in Uelzen, northern Germany, was disrupted by lightning and signal problems. The Hamburg-Hanover and Bremen-Hanover routes are expected to be particularly affected, and loading and departure are expected to be delayed and some operations will be canceled. Closure measures are being gradually lifted, but the full resumption schedule is still uncertain, and some terminals such as EUROKOMBI and CTB at Hamburg port are also delayed in processing.

Dutch authorities canceled at least 72 flights from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) due to strong winds on the afternoon of November 27. A gust of up to 120km/h (75mph) is reported in the area. Winds are expected to stop between late November 27 and early November 28. Additional cancellations are possible for flights until early November 28.

Thousands of flights have been delayed and hundreds canceled due to inclement weather on Wednesday, affecting Thanksgiving travel. The Transportation Security Administration expects 18.3 million people to be screened from Tuesday to Monday, making it the busiest Thanksgiving travel period on record. The American Automobile Association predicts a record 71.7 million people will travel by car, an increase of 1.3 million from last year. A Thanksgiving Day storm is pushing through the Northeast, with winter storm warnings in effect from northern Maine to central Pennsylvania. Over 5,000 flights have been delayed and 245 canceled as of early Thursday, with potential delays forecast for several major airports.

On November 27, heavy snow around the metropolitan area has disrupted aircraft operations across the country. According to the Korea Airports Corporation and Incheon International Airport Corporation, 40 of today's scheduled flights were canceled as of 1 p.m.. At Incheon International Airport, 8 out of 1,219 flights were canceled due to bad weather, and 75 flights were delayed. As snow is expected to continue until the morning of November 28, flight cancellations are expected to increase further.

Port workers at major Indian ports are expected to go on strike indefinitely from December 17 in protest of the government's failure to fulfill its promises. This strike is likely to cause serious disruptions to India's supply chain and is expected to occur at 12 government-managed ports across India. Workers point out that agendas such as wage and pension revisions and productivity-linked compensation systems agreed with the government are not being followed. Workers will hold a rally at each port on December 5 to emphasize the problem, and if the government does not solve the problem, it plans to stage an indefinite strike from December 17

A collision between a harbour tug and a cargo vessel off the Port of Kobe in Japan resulted in the tug capsizing, leaving one person dead. The incident occurred on November 23 when the two vessels collided, causing two crew members to be rescued from the water. The 73-year-old captain was found deceased on board the capsized tug. No injuries were reported among the 21 crew members on the cargo vessel, which was en route to Singapore. The Japan Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the incident.

At around 22:00 on November 24, GSL CHLOE caught fire in the engine room while entering Ningbo Port, China. The fire was extinguished with the rapid response of the crew, and no casualties were reported. The Ningbo Port terminal is currently operating normally.

A DHL cargo plane crashed into a house near Vilnius Airport in Lithuania, killing one person onboard and injuring three others. The Boeing 737-400, operated by Swiftair for DHL, went off course while attempting to land. Lithuanian authorities have launched an investigation, but no evidence suggests an explosion preceded the crash, and terrorism is not being ruled out. The plane broke apart and slid 100 meters before crashing into the house, which was evacuated with 12 people safely removed.