Month in Review – March 2026
Maritime
March 1: Shipping Lines Cut Mideast Routes, Posing Risk to Trade Flows – Supply Chain Brain
The world’s largest container carriers are rerouting ships to avoid the Persian Gulf, as a widening military conflict pitting the U.S.-Israeli alliance against Iran threatens to disrupt global merchandise trade.
MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co. halted cargo bookings for the Middle East, while Moller-Maersk A/S and Hapag-Lloyd AG suspended all crossings in the Strait of Hormuz.
DP World earlier suspended operations at the Jebel Ali port in Dubai, according to a notice sent to customers and seen by Bloomberg on March 1. The company later said all four of its terminals were operational.
The logistics disruptions come as a major blow to the region, where business hubs such as Dubai rely on trade, tourism, transport and finance along with a reputation as a haven in a troubled neighbourhood. Protracted snarls could reverberate across global supply chains, analysts warn.
March 2: Iran Threatens to Burn Ships Transiting the Strait of Hormuz – Seatrade Maritime News
In Iran’s starkest threat yet to commercial shipping a senior advisor to the Commander of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has threatened set fire to vessels trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
“The Strait of Hormuz has been closed. We will attack and set ablaze any ship attempting to cross,” Ebrahim Jabbari, a senior adviser to the Commander-in-Chief of IRGC was reported as saying on Iranian state-run TV channel IRIB.
He warned that the Strait was closed to shipping and any vessels would face “a serious response.”
Jabarri also said that oil pipelines in the region would be targeted as Iran seeks to stop all oil flowing from the region. “We will not let oil be exported from the region,” he said.
March 2: Gulf War Risk Insurance Pulled as Reinsurers Exit – gCaptain
The global marine insurance market is rapidly retrenching from the Persian Gulf as escalating military conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran pushes the region’s maritime risk profile to unprecedented levels.
Over the weekend, multiple members of the International Group of P&I Clubs, which collectively insure approximately 90% of the world’s ocean-going tonnage, issued formal 72-hour notices of cancellation for certain war risk covers tied to Iran and adjacent Gulf waters. In a statement, the Group said it is “monitoring closely the developments over the weekend and the military operations currently taking place in the Persian Gulf,” adding that stakeholders would be notified immediately of any changes to mutual cover.
The cancellations are being driven by reinsurers withdrawing capacity for war risk exposures in the region, a critical development given the IG’s pooled structure and collective reinsurance program. Under the Group’s unique claims-sharing arrangement, its 12 independent, not-for-profit clubs pool large losses and collectively reinsure catastrophic exposures in the commercial market. Once reinsurers issue notice, clubs must follow to remain back-to-back with their reinsurance protections.
Cancellation notices issued March 1 will take effect at 00:00 GMT on March 5, after the required 72-hour notice period.
March 3: Iran Conflict Snarls 10% of World’s Container Fleet – Supply Chain Dive
Cargo backlogs will build up at major hubs and key locations in Asia and Europe as ocean carriers halt bookings to the Middle East, one of the many broad ripple effects of the military conflict between Iran, the U.S. and Israel according to Ocean Network Express CEO Jeremy Nixon.
Currently, about 750 ships are backed up due to the Strait of Hormuz closure, 100 of which are container vessels, the CEO said. This means that about 10% of the global container fleet is being impacted by the closure.
In turn, vessels with cargo that planned to traverse the Strait of Hormuz will have to turn around and move to locations such as Colombo, Sri Lanka, among others, Nixon said. Freight rates will also be on the rise, he added.
Exports from Asia will face the brunt of the impact, and major port hubs in the region will start to lose their fluidity, including the Port of Singapore, he said. This will lead to an immediate cessation of bookings and a halt to cargo movements already in terminals.
“So, that’s going to give a few headaches to the port operators in terms of their stack utilizations, the fluidity of their terminal, and then carriers are going to have to try to prioritize empties and move other cargo around,” ONE’s CEO said. “It’ll inevitably have an impact on freight rates.”
Fuel prices are also rapidly escalating because of the conflict, Nixon noted.
March 4: Arctic Gateway Group and Port of Antwerp-Bruges Sign Agreement Focussing on Opportunities to Expand Trade Through Port of Churchill – Maritime Magazine
Arctic Gateway Group (AGG) and Port of Antwerp-Bruges International (POABI) have signed a new agreement to foster opportunities for trade, collaboration, investment and long-term partnership between Manitoba’s Port of Churchill and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, a leading European maritime gateway.
The agreement establishes a framework for cooperation in port development, intermodal transportation, and the identification of new and expanded cargo streams between Western Canada and Europe. Priority areas include critical minerals, energy products, fertilizer feedstock, containers and agricultural commodities.
“The world is taking notice of what we are building in northern Manitoba and sees real value in shipping through Churchill,” said Chris Avery, President and CEO, Arctic Gateway Group. “This new agreement with a major European port will look to move critical minerals, energy, fertilizer and other agricultural products more directly to Europe, while European investment, equipment and manufactured goods can flow back into Churchill. By working with Port of Antwerp-Bruges International, we are building a reliable, diversified trade corridor that strengthens supply chains, attracts long-term investment, and delivers measurable economic benefits to Indigenous and northern communities, Manitoba and industry across Western Canada.”
March 10: Iran Begins Laying Mines in Strait of Hormuz, Sources Say – CNN
Iran has begun laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, according to two people familiar with U.S. intelligence reporting on the issue.
The mining is not extensive yet, with a few dozen having been laid in recent days, the sources said. But Iran still retains upward of 80% to 90% of its small boats and mine layers, one of the sources said, so its forces could feasibly lay hundreds of mines in the waterway.
President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social on March 10 that, “if Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait, and we have no reports of them doing so, we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY!” He added that, if mines were placed and they are not removed, Iran will face consequences “at a level never before seen.” He said, however, that if Tehran removes “what may have been placed, it will be a giant step in the right direction!”
Following Trump’s post, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth posted on X that, at Trump’s direction, U.S. Central Command “has been eliminating inactive mine-laying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz – wiping them out with ruthless precision. We will not allow terrorists to hold the Strait of Hormuz hostage.”
March 10: China Summons Maersk, MSC on ‘Shipping Operations’ amid Panama Saga, Iran War Shock – South China Morning Post
China’s Ministry of Transport has summoned Maersk and MSC for talks on “international shipping operations” amid legal disputes over the Panama Canal.
No further details were provided in the one-sentence statement, which was posted on the ministry’s website on March 10. But in China, government summons often serve as a warning and, if ignored, could lead to further action.
In late February, Panamanian authorities handed temporary control of two ports – previously run by CK Hutchison’s Panama Ports Company (PPC) – to Maersk’s APM Terminals and MSC’s Terminal Investment. The decision followed a court ruling that voided CK Hutchison’s long-term port concession, granted in the 1990s, as “unconstitutional.”
CK Hutchison, the Hong Kong-based conglomerate, has launched legal proceedings against the Panamanian government over the seizure of the two ports – Balboa and Cristobal – calling the takeovers “illegal,” according to a statement issued on March 6.
March 11: 10,000 Crew Members Trapped by Strait of Hormuz Blockade – American Shipper
More than 10,000 maritime workers and hundreds of vessels are trapped in the Persian Gulf, said shipping executives meeting in Stamford, Conn., with most operators unwilling to risk the safety of crews in a potentially deadly crossing of the strait.
The executives said reports of ships turning off their automatic identification system (AIS) tracking and forming convoys to exit the region were false. “There have been no convoys,” said Tim Wilkins, managing director of Oslo-based tanker trade group Intertanko. “There have been some individual vessels that have turned off AIS and transited at night, but no convoys.”
The executives said the trapped ships include hundreds of dry bulk vessels, as well as crude oil and natural gas tankers, and container vessels.
March 11: Maersk Says Hormuz Crisis is Squeezing Global Marine Fuel Supply – gCaptain
Global shipping giant A.P. Moller – Maersk says the escalating conflict in the Middle East is beginning to disrupt global marine fuel supply chains, prompting the carrier to introduce a temporary emergency bunker surcharge as it scrambles to secure bunker supplies for its global fleet.
In an operational update issued March 10, the company said the evolving security situation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz is significantly impacting fuel availability and forcing the company to take “additional proactive operational measures” to stabilize its network.
To help cover the rising costs and logistical challenges associated with securing fuel, Maersk said it will implement the temporary surcharge starting March 25, subject to regulatory approvals.
Maersk said the surcharge will be reviewed every 14 days and could be adjusted upward or downward depending on fuel availability and market conditions.
March 11: ONE Vessel in U.S. Service Attacked in Persian Gulf – American Shipper
Ocean Network Express (ONE) confirmed that one of its container ships was attacked inside the Persian Gulf. The 6,700-TEU ONE Majesty was hit while at anchor in the port of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. It was one of three cargo ships hit on the morning of March 11.
The Japan-owned and -flagged ONE Majesty operates on the WIN service between West India and the U.S. East Coast. It is owned by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL).
The incident was the first on a cargo ship in the Persian Gulf since the start of the Iran war, and raises concerns over attacks on shipping ranging beyond the Strait of Hormuz.
March 12: Standing Committee on Transport Passes Motion Calling for the Port of Montreal to Unveil Its Plan for the Rehabilitation of Contaminated Land at Contrecœur – LeContrecourant.com (translated from French)
Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Member of Parliament for Pierre-Boucher–Les Patriotes–Verchères and Bloc Québécois critic for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, had a motion adopted by the Standing Committee on Transport requesting that the Montreal Port Authority make public and transmit to the Committee, within 30 days, its plan for the rehabilitation of contaminated land related to the expansion of the Port of Montreal in Contrecœur.
“I am pleased with the unanimous adoption of my motion by the Standing Committee on Transport. This step aims to guarantee transparency in the process and ensure compliance with the highest environmental standards in the implementation of the port project. I think this sends a clear signal for the future; namely, that citizens have the right to know how what affects their quality of life and their environment will be managed,” said the MP.
The motion also calls on the port authority to comply with all municipal regulations and Quebec environmental laws. Although it has committed to adequately treating the contaminants, the Port has, to date, neither submitted a permit application to the City nor a remediation plan to the Quebec government.
March 16: U.S. Allies Rebuff Trump’s Request for Support in Strait of Hormuz – American Journal of Transportation
U.S. allies said they had no immediate plans to send ships to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, rebuffing a request by President Donald Trump for military support to keep the vital waterway open. Trump called on nations to help police the strait after Iran responded to U.S.-Israeli attacks by using drones, missiles and mines to effectively close the strategic channel off its shores for tankers transporting a fifth of global oil supply.
Most NATO countries, several of whom have been at the sharp end of criticism from Trump in recent months, are usually wary of angering the White House but are now signalling reluctance to become embroiled in the conflict with Tehran.
“What does (…) Donald Trump expect a handful or two handfuls of European frigates to do in the Strait of Hormuz that the powerful U.S. navy cannot do?” said German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, as he downplayed threats by Trump that failing to come to Washington’s aid could have consequences for the NATO alliance. “This is not our war, we have not started it,” he added.
The conflict has nothing to do with NATO and Germany has no plans to be drawn into it, government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said.
“Neither the United States nor Israel consulted us before the war, and … Washington explicitly stated at the outset of the war that European assistance was neither necessary nor desired,” the spokesperson said.
March 18: Panama-Flagged Vessels Face Surge in Chinese Port Inspections – Port Technology International
Panama-flagged vessels faced an unusual spike in detentions at Chinese ports in early March, in what industry sources describe as a coordinated response to Panama’s decision to revoke CK Hutchison’s terminal concessions.
Between March 8 and 12, Chinese authorities detained 28 Panama-flagged ships, representing 75.7 percent of all vessel detentions in the country over that period, according to data from the Tokyo Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control.
The five-day total of 28 detentions exceeded monthly totals for Panama-flagged vessels in 2025, when the share typically ranged between 28 percent and 48 percent.
The surge appears to be linked to Panama’s forced removal of Hutchison’s operating rights at the Balboa and Cristobal terminals.
Industry analysts warn that a sustained campaign against Panama-flagged vessels could disrupt supply chains and raise costs for shipowners.
March 20: U.S. Calls for Abandonment of IMO’s Net Zero Framework – Seatrade Maritime News
The U.S. delegation at the IMO has set out its decarbonization plans for shipping by calling for the UN body to abandon its Net Zero Framework (NZF) and not resume the Marine Environment Protection Committee’s (MEPC) Extraordinary Session 2, which was adjourned last year for 12 months.
According to the U.S. submission to the 84th session of MEPC (MEPC84), there is no consensus around the current IMO NZF, which it says has “serious shortcomings.”
A submission to MEPC84 by Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and United Arab Emirates asserts that the NZF as presented in October 2025 cannot carry the consensus needed to ensure implementation.
The U.S., writing in support of the Algerian-led view, states the NZF “would stifle ongoing debate and detract from constructive Member State-led discussions.” As a consequence, the U.S. delegation added: “The United States submits that the most appropriate path forward is to end consideration of the IMO Net-Zero Framework entirely and not resume MEPC/ES.2, currently adjourned until November 2026.”
March 22: Iran Says Hormuz Open to All But ‘Enemy-Linked’ Ships – gCaptain
The Strait of Hormuz remains open to all shipping except vessels linked to “Iran’s enemies,” Iranian media reports published on March 22 quoted Iran’s representative to the U.N. maritime agency as saying.
Ali Mousavi’s comments came from an interview published on March 20 by Chinese news agency Xinhua, before U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to target Iranian power plants if the strait was not “fully open” within 48 hours.
Mousavi was also quoted as saying that Tehran would continue to cooperate with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to improve maritime safety and protect seafarers in the Gulf, adding that ships not belonging to “Iran’s enemies” could pass the strait by coordinating security and safety arrangements with Tehran.
March 24: China Is Building a Massive 83-Mile Canal to Transport Goods Directly from the Interior to the Sea – ECONews
China is deep into building the Pinglu Canal, an 83-mile shipping route meant to connect inland rivers in the southwest to international sea lanes. The goal is simple to say and hard to build: Let big cargo vessels move from the interior to the coast without taking a long detour.
Officials say the new waterway could cut hundreds of miles off today’s shipping routes and lower transport costs, a change that can ripple from factories to ports and, eventually, to prices consumers see on store shelves. With the project slated to be finished in late 2026, the canal is also becoming a test case for how China mixes mega-infrastructure with environmental controls.
The Pinglu Canal runs from the Nanning area in Guangxi, following the Qinjiang River south toward the Beibu Gulf, also known internationally as the Gulf of Tonkin. When it opens, it is designed to link inland river traffic directly to coastal ports and ocean shipping.
Local authorities frame the canal as a core piece of the “New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor,” a network meant to move goods between western China and overseas markets more efficiently.
March 27: Iran Signals New ‘Permission-to-Transit’ Regime in Hormuz After Blocking COSCO Vessels – gCaptain
Iran says it has begun enforcing new controls over shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, claiming it blocked multiple container ships, including two operated by China’s COSCO, under a “permission-to-transit” system that could reshape access to one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints.
Just hours after COSCO announced a Gulf network redesign and a return to the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian authorities said they had intervened to stop vessels that failed to comply with newly established transit protocols.
In an official statement, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had “blocked three container ships of different nationalities” after the vessels did not adhere to the new requirements.
Iran had previously announced a “safe” shipping corridor on March 18, describing it as a framework for approved – and potentially paid – transits through the waterway. The incident with COSCO suggests that access may now be conditional on compliance with Iranian-defined procedures.
March 30: Report: White House Considers Ending War Without Opening Strait of Hormuz – The Maritime Executive
The White House is considering an option to end the Iran military campaign without reopening the Strait of Hormuz, leaving the task to allies in the Gulf and in Europe, according to the Wall Street Journal. The proposal would get U.S. forces out of the conflict quickly, satisfying the president’s goal of a rapid in-and-out action; it would also leave Iran in control of the sole route to market for 13 percent of the world’s oil and 20 percent of its LNG. If sustained over the long term, this would be a significant strategic gain for Iran.
In public, the president has demanded that the strait be reopened, and has threatened to blow up Iran’s electrical stations, desalination plants and oil wells if Iranian forces continue to throttle traffic in the waterway. In private, senior administration officials have quietly hinted that the president has other priorities and, as one official told MS NOW, “wants to move on.”
Air
March 5: Middle East Conflict Puts 21 Percent of Global Air Cargo Flows at Risk – Air Cargo Week
The war in Iran and the resulting airspace restrictions across parts of the Middle East are directly affecting a significant share of global air cargo flows, highlighting the region’s central role in international supply chains.
According to new analysis by WorldACD Market Data, approximately 21 percent of worldwide air cargo flows are directly linked to the Middle East when measured by weight between November 2025 and January 2026.
The figures reflect cargo that either originates in the region, is destined for it, or passes through major Middle Eastern hubs acting as transit gateways between continents.
March 11: Drone Strikes Near Dubai Airport Deepen Gulf Aviation Chaos – Air Freight News
Two drones fell near Dubai’s main airport and Bahrain evacuated some planes on March 11, as attacks on infrastructure across the Gulf continued to disrupt air traffic, hampering efforts to restore flights as the war on Iran entered a 12th day.
The U.S.-Israel war against Iran has led to tens of thousands of flight cancellations, reroutings and schedule changes worldwide, shutting much of the Middle East’s airspace – including Qatar’s – due to missile and drone threats.
That has plunged aviation into its worst crisis since the pandemic, as Dubai International Airport (DXB), the busiest hub for global passengers, and other regional airports are critical transit points for long-haul travel.
March 12: IATA Launches DG Digital to Fully Digitalize Dangerous Goods Declarations – IATA press release
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched DG Digital, a digital dangerous goods declaration solution, as a feature of DG AutoCheck. The new tool fully digitalizes the creation and approval of shippers’ declarations for more than 3,800 dangerous items, from lithium batteries to explosives and chemicals. This results in faster document sharing, improved safety and a significant reduction in rejected shipments.
Today, 95% of dangerous goods declarations are still received in paper format. These declarations must be scanned, converted into a PDF document, then uploaded into DG AutoCheck to be validated. With DG Digital, declarations are generated and transmitted digitally from creation by the shipper to validation. This creates a more efficient and streamlined workflow compared with traditional paper-based processes.
March 17: Rising Fuel Costs, TSA Shortages Are Piling Up for Airlines – Marketplace
March 17 marked day 18 of the war in Iran. Oil prices are fluctuating, but high, around $95 a barrel. Commercial air space in much of the Middle East remains closed. And at airports in the U.S., lines keep getting longer as the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security stretches into a second month and more TSA agents call off. All of this is adding up for airlines.
Just a few weeks ago, airlines were paying about $2.50 a gallon for jet fuel. On March 17, it was closer to $4 a gallon.
“That is putting extreme financial pressure on airlines,” said Charles Duncan, a partner at AltitudeX Aviation Group.
Duncan said no one has any idea how long those high fuel prices will last. “Which makes it nearly impossible to plan for,” he said. “So I think everyone is taking it day to day, week to week.”
The same is true with the closure of commercial airspace and severe disruptions at key airport hubs in the Middle East, including in Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi.
March 19: U.S. Official Warns Small Airports Could Soon Shut Down Over TSA Absences – American Journal of Transportation
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned on March 19 that, if a partial government shutdown continues, small airports could soon shut down, as 50,000 airport security officers go without pay.
Since March 15, around 10% of Transportation Security Administration airport personnel have failed to show for work daily, about five times the normal rate. That’s led to long security lines at a number of major airports.
Duffy noted that TSA officers are set to miss another full paycheck on March 27 and said things are likely to get worse as that approaches. “You’re going to see small airports, I believe, shut down,” he said.
On March 17, around 30% of TSA officers did not show up at New York JFK, Pittsburgh and Houston Bush and 40% at Houston Hobby, the Homeland Security Department said.
DHS said 366 TSA officers have left during the shutdown.
March 23: LaGuardia Airport Reopened After Air Canada Plane Collision with a Vehicle – Business Insider
An Air Canada aircraft collided with a ground vehicle at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late on March 22, killing two pilots and forcing the airport to shut down as investigators examined the crash.
The airport reopened with operations limited to a single runway, as of 2 pm Eastern on March 23. As of early evening, LaGuardia’s other main runway was still closed, with the wreckage of the Air Canada plane still in place.
The Air Canada Express flight, a CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation, a Canadian regional carrier that runs short-haul flights on behalf of Air Canada, struck a Port Authority rescue and firefighting vehicle on the airfield shortly after landing, authorities said.
The remaining runway closure is expected to slow traffic and reduce capacity. About 600 flights had been canceled on March 23 as of the afternoon, per the flight-tracking website Flightradar24.
March 30: Middle East Conflict Triggers Global Wave of Flight Cancellations – The Traveler
Escalating military action in the Middle East is triggering a global wave of airline cancellations and diversions, disrupting key Europe–Asia and transcontinental routes and stranding passengers from the Gulf to the Mediterranean.
A combination of diversions and outright cancellations is reshaping the global flight map, with schedules between North America, Europe and South Asia particularly affected. Routes that were already lengthened by earlier restrictions over Russia now face additional detours, compounding block times and narrowing operational margins.
Industry analysts cited in recent briefings estimate that direct losses for the aviation sector could reach tens of billions of dollars in the first weeks of the latest escalation, once grounded aircraft, mass cancellations and additional fuel costs are factored in. The full financial impact will depend on how long airspace closures persist and how quickly airlines can rebuild reliable schedules.
March 31: Fuel Surcharges and Capacity Fall Trigger Airfreight Price Jumps of Up to 95% – Drewry press release
International general airfreight rates surged by up to 95% between February and March, as reduced airfreight capacity and higher fuel prices caused by the Iran War threatened to bring prices back to COVID record levels.
According to Drewry Airfreight Insight, airfreight rates from Shanghai to Dubai have soared 95% since the start of the war, to $8.60. Rates could exceed the 2020 pandemic record of $9.40 if fuel surcharges continue to rise.
Cost pressures are being amplified by sharp increases in pricing components across specific routes: Fuel surcharges jumped by as much as 290% MoM in March from Singapore to London, while security surcharges rose 44% MoM on shipments from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Amsterdam.
In addition, airlines that transit the Middle East have seen curbed operations. All told, airfreight routes connected to the Middle East constitute 15.6% and 18.2% of airfreight traffic and capacity, respectively, while the ongoing conflict impacts air trade lanes beyond those originating from the Middle East.
Trucking
March 3: Transportation Agents at MGT Ratify Collective Agreement, Regular Gate Hours to Be Reinstated Gradually
MGT announced in an email message that its transportation agents, represented by CUPE Local 4317, have ratified a new eight-year collective agreement.
Affected employees will return to work on March 9 at 9:00 am. MGT anticipates a smooth transition to regular operations, including the gradual reinstatement of its standard 17-hour truck gate service.
March 11: It’s Going to Cost $12 Per Axle for Commercial Trucks to Cross the Gordie Howe Bridge When It Opens – CBC News
We now know how much it’s going to cost to cross the Gordie Howe International Bridge when it opens.
Bridge officials say the standard passenger vehicle toll will be $8 to cross and $12 per axle for commercial trucks, oversized vehicles and larger passenger vehicles.
“Breakaway,” the bridge’s vehicle tag program, will offer drivers discounted rates, and will allow motorists to drive to any open toll lane. Breakaway members receive a 25 percent discount, the authority says. That means it will cost $6 for passenger vehicles and $9.60 per axle.
The span will be “opening this spring,” the bridge company said in a statement. It will provide a highway-to-highway connection between Ontario’s Highway 401 and Michigan’s Interstate-75, with six traffic lanes, 16 toll lanes and 60 Canada and U.S. inspection lanes.
The Ambassador Bridge costs $20 per axle (or $15 for pass holders) for commercial trucks to cross.
March 11: Rising Claims Costs Reshaping Trucking Insurance Landscape – TruckNews.com
Truck crashes are not only becoming more frequent, but their costs are also climbing sharply. Add widespread fraud, double brokering, higher truck prices and labour costs, along with a growing number of so-called nuclear verdicts, and the result is rising insurance costs across the industry.
Insurers say the financial consequences of truck crashes – known in the insurance industry as “claims severity” – have climbed sharply over the past decade.
During recent hearings before the House of Commons transport committee studying the changing landscape of the trucking industry, representatives from the Insurance Bureau of Canada told MPs that commercial auto insurers have paid out more in claims and expenses than they have collected in premiums for several consecutive years.
March 16: Quebec Removes Truck Drivers from Simplified Immigration Processing, ACQ Reacts Strongly – Transport Routier (translated from French)
The CEO of the Quebec Trucking Association (ACQ), Marc Cadieux, strongly denounces the government’s decision to remove the position of heavy vehicle driver from the list of professions eligible for simplified processing by the Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration.
He describes this decision as “unacceptable,” and it comes on top of a series of recent changes to immigration programs that are worrying the trucking industry.
The removal of the heavy vehicle driver profession from the list of professions eligible for simplified processing comes shortly after the announcement in January of the abolition of the Quebec Experience Program in favour of the Skilled Worker Selection Program.
For the ACQ, these successive changes create a climate of uncertainty for a sector already facing a major challenge in renewing its workforce. “This is yet another warning shot that widens the gap between the government’s ambitions and the realities of trucking,” says Cadieux.
The association believes that this policy direction contradicts the government’s own forecasts. In 2021, the Minister of Labour, Jean Boulet, even mentioned the prospect of a “historic labour shortage” by 2030.
March 25: Alberta Safety Blitz Sidelines Majority of Trucks Near Hanna – TruckNews.com
A two-day commercial vehicle enforcement blitz northeast of Hanna, Alta., sidelined the vast majority of trucks inspected, with only three of 37 units passing inspection.
The Alberta Sheriff Highway Patrol conducted the inspections March 19 and 20 near Drumheller, applying the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) North American inspection standard.
A total of 26 vehicles, about 70% of those inspected, were placed out of service due to critical defects.
March 31: U.S. Trucking Groups Aim to Slam Brakes on Easy Entry for Motor Carriers – Land Line
Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation have taken steps to ensure that only skilled and well-trained truck drivers receive a CDL. Now, two trucking groups are asking lawmakers to prevent unsafe motor carriers from entering the industry.
“Removing unsafe drivers from the road is only part of the solution. To complement this effort, Congress and regulators must do more to prevent unsafe motor carriers from joining the trucking industry in the first place,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer and ATA President Chris Spear wrote in a letter to the leaders of the House Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. “This will require addressing the resource gap that has left FMCSA’s New Entrant Safety Assurance Program unable to keep pace with the volume of new carriers entering the freight market.”
“Many carriers wait well beyond a year for an audit, and some never receive one at all,” the trucking groups wrote. “FMCSA data shows that the total number of new entrant safety audits conducted routinely covered less than a quarter of all motor carriers enrolled in the new entrant program. Even worse, of the audits that were actually conducted, only 58.5% were completed on time. It should be noted that well over 95% of annual new entrant audits are performed by state enforcement agencies, which struggle to recruit and retain commercial vehicle enforcement officers and similarly lack robust resources to focus on these audits. These conditions and the resulting backlog create a dangerous gap that allows chameleon carriers and other bad actors to operate for extended periods – often until a crash or enforcement action reveals underlying fraud or safety violations.”
CIFFA Advocacy, Communications, Activities
March 3: CIFFA Submits Input to Federal Red Tape Review Focused on Trade and Efficiency at the Border
CIFFA last week made a submission to the Treasury Board in response to a call for input in its horizontal red tape review focused on supporting international trade and greater efficiency at the border.
Given the current disturbances to global trade and Canada’s efforts to diversify its trade relationships, CIFFA recommended that strong and meaningful actions be taken by the government to reduce red tape and other barriers to efficiency at the border.
Key issues that CIFFA identified for action are:
- Flawed implementation of new CBSA systems and disruptive contingency plans
- Red tape associated with sanctions/illicit goods evasion
- Disjointed intelligence and information sharing between Transport Canada and CBSA
March 5: CIFFA Guidance Related to MSC End of Voyage Announcement
MSC Canada issued on March 3 an “end of voyage” announcement for all shipments currently under its custody and care destined for ports in the Arabian Gulf. This includes both loaded and empty containers intended for export to those destinations. The announcement states that all shipments en route will be diverted to the next safe port of discharge, where cargo will be placed at customers’ disposal. A mandatory surcharge of US$800 per container, along with all discharge-related expenses, will be applied.
CIFFA strongly disagrees with this position and urges members to advise MSC accordingly. Members should make clear that they will not agree to any additional charges related to this position. Furthermore, arrangements must be made for the return of cargo to the point of origin or another agreed-upon designated location.
CIFFA recently wrote to Michael Vandergrift to offer congratulations on his recent appointment as Deputy Minister for Transport Canada. In the communication, CIFFA recognized Mr. Vandergrift’s track record of strong leadership and how that is anticipated to impact the strategic operations of the department.
March 30: CIFFA Introduces New CAPC Program to Strengthen Customs Expertise Across Canada
CIFFA is pleased to announce the new CIFFA Accredited Practitioner in Customs (CAPC) program coming this May. This new online credential is designed to strengthen customs expertise in Canada.
Developed by customs brokers and vetted by trade lawyers, CAPC combines real-world case studies with practical application of tariff classification, valuation, origin and compliance. Designed for working professionals, the fully online program supports both those entering the field as customs professionals and our freight forwarding members looking to expand their breadth of knowledge in logistics.
