China's factory output and retail sales growth slowed sharply and missed expectations in July, as new COVID-19 outbreaks and floods disrupted business operations, adding to signs the economic recovery is losing momentum.
The economic sentiment in the Eurozone is reaching new heights, suggesting the long-awaited recovery is finally gathering speed. But risks remain, including the spread of COVID-19 variants leading to new restrictions, and scarce input factors for the European industry.
The half-year health check on the state of the maritime markets finds shipowners in a better place than they anticipated 12 months ago. While tankers will have to wait for a meaningful vaccine-led recovery, box and bulk are booming.
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.
The country already has an extensive high-speed passenger network and is now looking to develop new goods trains. Rail bosses believe demand from online retailers will help drive the development of the network
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
While the COVID-19 Pandemic has brought unprecedented disruption to the world economy, it has also strengthened the rail links between China and Europe, and industry experts believe the growing volume of rail freight between East and West will aid the economic recovery of countries and regions along the routes of the Belt & Road Initiative
The crisis has demonstrated how essential the logistics industry really is. The impact on logistics companies has varied depending on the types of goods they transport and which industries they serve
A UBS report has found that the Covid-19 pandemic could accelerate the shift from air to rail, post-lockdown, with greater than expected growth in the rail industry over the next 10 years
