Europe-bound Chinese rail freight is expected to become a whole lot more expensive as Beijing looks to address multiple looming economic crises [The Loadstar].
Having spent years subsidising its rail freight network, with the intent of entrenching it as a legitimate alternative to the more dominant air and ocean cargo services, China’s government is reputedly lining up a faster-than-expected subsidy reduction.
COVID-19 will likely affect trade more profoundly than any other recent crisis. The extent of the disruption will vary by commodity, trade lane, and mode of transport, and it will be steered by local differences in the crisis’s severity
The paths of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recovery of the global economy remain impossible to predict. But it is becoming increasingly clear that, disruptive impact on international trade will leave a lasting mark. Companies should take a fresh, holistic view of the markets and trade relationships that are likely to drive growth and secure competitive advantage in the post-COVID-19 world.
