The Freight Buyers' Club

European trade is being reshaped by US tariffs, shifting supply chains and the EU’s push for customs reform. In this Freight Buyers’ Club clip, Stephen Tracey, Joint General Manager for Europe at WiseTech Global, outlines the impact of tariff shocks, border friction and fragmented systems, and explains how digitalisation and data reuse could change compliance across Europe. Key points: Ripple effe...

Global trade is being reshaped as old institutions weaken, tariffs reset, and customs systems struggle under pressure. Mike King speaks with Cindy Allen (ex-CBP), Greg Nichols (DHL Global Forwarding), and Stephen Tracey (WiseTech Global) about: U.S. tariffs, bonds and enforcement Europe’s customs reforms and Brexit aftershocks Asia’s new trade blocs and China+1 strategies The rise of digitalisatio...

Global supply chains are under pressure — but is India really a viable “China+1” option? In this clip from Episode 51 of The Freight Buyers’ Club, produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group [https://dimerco.com/], supply chain expert Renaud Anjoran explains why diversification isn’t as straightforward as it looks. From tariffs on Indian exports to differences in workforce, culture and manu...

Global trade is shifting fast, with customs rules tightening and supply chains facing new choke points. Wolfgang Lehmacher, Independent Supply Chain and Logistics Expert, explains how today’s trade environment echoes Brexit—but on a far larger scale. In this clip from EP51 of The Freight Buyers' Club podcast produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group [https://dimerco.com/], Wolfgang shares...

The Port of Rotterdam — Europe’s biggest container port — faces global shipping disruptions, new alliances, and the challenge of building a sustainable supply chain. Rotterdam is under pressure, but it’s also leading the way — balancing container chaos with innovation, resilience, and bold sustainability goals. In this episode of the Freight Buyers’ Club Podcast , produced with the support of Onte...

Global freight rates are falling, peak season demand is shifting, and e-commerce flows are moving from air to ocean. In this clip, Kathy Liu, VP of Global Sales & Marketing at Dimerco Express Group, explains what shippers need to know about current freight market volatility, the end of the US de minimis exemption, and how Southeast Asia is reshaping trade flows to the United States and Europe....

Global trade is shifting fast — and Asia is at the centre of it all. From new rules-of-origin checks and China+1 strategies to freight market volatility and shifting trade flows, supply chains are under pressure like never before. In this episode of The Freight Buyers’ Club , produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group [https://dimerco.com/] Mike King speaks with: Wolfgang Lehmacher – Indep...

Big shippers reveal how they buy ocean freight in 2025’s volatile container shipping market – in this clip produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group. Host Mike King talks with Ken O’Brien , President of the Gemini Shippers Association, about how one of the largest groups of US importers is navigating contracts, tariffs, and capacity challenges. Ken explains: Why Gemini members leaned on l...

This is Episode 50 of The Freight Buyers’ Club , produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group. In this milestone episode, host Mike King is joined by three heavyweight shipper representatives to discuss how the world’s biggest retailers and technology companies are navigating today’s turbulent trade landscape. Ken O’Brien , President of Gemini Shippers Association, reveals how major transpac...

Temu, Shein, and other fast-growing e-commerce giants are facing a seismic change in how they ship to U.S. consumers. In this episode of The Freight Buyers’ Club – produced with the support of MSC Air Cargo – host Mike King is joined by three leading voices in global logistics to unpack the end of the U.S. $800 de minimis exemption , its upcoming global suspension, and the ripple effects for air c...

In this episode of The Freight Buyers’ Club , host Mike King speaks with Susan Williams , founder and CEO of Kalalou Inc , a Mississippi-based importer that was once a heavy shipper from China, India, Indonesia, Haiti, and more . Now, due to sweeping US tariff policies , her container volumes have nearly halved – and her company faces over $1 million in annual tariff bills . Despite being a Trump...

US trade policy is back in the headlines – and hitting global freight hard. In this episode of The Freight Buyers’ Club , Mike King investigates the fallout from “Liberation Day”, tariff volatility, and the sweeping “One Big Beautiful Act” signed into law by President Trump. We cover container shipping rate chaos, what exactly TACO means, and a bold SME shipper proposal to refund tariffs for profi...

In this special Freight Buyers’ Club explainer, Mike King unpacks the recent U.S. crackdown on de minimis exemptions – and why this policy change is sending shockwaves through global air cargo and e-commerce supply chains. Joined by: John Pearson, CEO, DHL Express Kathy Liu, VP Global Sales & Marketing, Dimerco Express Group Mark Chadwick, President, Global Shippers Association David King, Boa...

How do you keep global trade moving when shipping lanes are under threat and borders are tightening? In this episode of The Freight Buyers’ Club , host Mike King speaks to Amadou Diallo , CEO of DHL Global Forwarding for the Middle East and Africa , inside DHL’s massive new EV logistics facility in Dubai . Diallo reveals how DHL has responded to the Red Sea shipping crisis , is investing across th...

Host Mike King meets John Pearson , CEO of DHL Express , inside one of the company’s cutting-edge express logistics facilities in Dubai . Standing on-site, Pearson unpacks DHL’s €500 million investment across the UAE and Saudi Arabia , explains why he remains bullish on global trade despite growing protectionism, and dives into the e-commerce boom and the fallout from de minimis regulation changes...

In this episode of The Freight Buyers Club , Mike King sits down with Vivian Brunialti, Regional Development Director for the Americas at JAS Worldwide, and Andrea Goeman, Senior Vice President for QHSE and Sustainability. They share expert insights on navigating freight challenges amid tariffs, supply chain shifts, and geopolitical uncertainty in 2025. Discover how freight buyers can strategicall...

In this video explainer edition of The Freight Buyers’ Club , host Mike King brings you exclusive insights and expert interviews recorded at the 2025 ‘transport logistic’ and Air Cargo Europe event in Munich. In less than 15 minutes, we explore the key themes shaping global freight markets — including volatile rates, emerging risks, air cargo consolidation, and automation — all through the lens of...

In this exclusive Freight Buyers’ Club interview filmed at transport logistic in Munich, Mike King speaks with Lars Karlsson, Global Head of Trade and Customs Consulting at A.P. Møller-Maersk and former Director of the World Customs Organization (WCO). Lars explains why customs is now central to supply chain strategy, how to handle tariffs and ESG-related compliance risks, and why owning your data...

Is container shipping headed for chronic overcapacity — or just entering a transitional phase? In this episode of The Freight Buyers’ Club , recorded at ‘transport logistic’ in Munich, Jan Tiedemann, Senior Shipping Analyst at Alphaliner, breaks down the dramatic growth in the global container fleet, the implications of extended order books, and the impact of shifting shipbuilding trends in China,...

In this exclusive interview with The Freight Buyers Club, host Mike King speaks to David Shepherd, CEO of IAG Cargo, following the major announcement of IAG's new Global Cargo Joint Business with Qatar Airways Cargo and MASkargo. Recorded at Air Cargo Europe in Munich on the day of the announcement, Shepherd breaks down what could become the most powerful alliance in air freight history — offering...

When markets turn volatile and supply chains get messy, the best freight forwarders don’t flinch — they thrive. In this episode, Oliver Gritz, CEO of Ontegos Cloud and former CFO at DHL Express, breaks down why complexity is a freight forwarder's greatest opportunity. He shares how real-time business steering, high-precision billing, and operational data mastery can transform chaos into profit — f...

In this episode, Dimerco Express Group CEO Jeffrey Shih shares his frontline insights on the rapidly evolving world of global freight and logistics. With over 30 years of experience, Jeffrey discusses the impact of the China+1 strategy, the US-China tariff truce, and the growing role of Latin America in nearshoring and sourcing diversification. We dive deep into how freight buyers can navigate shi...

In this Video Explainer episode of The Freight Buyers’ Club , host Mike King delivers a strategic visual briefing on the latest US-China tariff developments — and how they’re impacting global container markets, supply chains, and BCO planning in the summer of 2025. Designed for C-suite decision-makers and logistics professionals, this explainer breaks down: What the new US–China “tariff truce” act...

In this episode of The Freight Buyers Club , Mike King is joined by Mark Chadwick, President of the Global Shippers Association , representing some of the world’s largest cargo owners. With the highest US and China tariffs now temporarily paused, shippers are rushing to move backlogged cargo — creating a tidal wave of container volumes heading straight for the US. Mark unpacks what this means for...

In this episode of The Freight Buyers' Club, host Mike King speaks with Dr. Noel Hacegaba, Chief Operating Officer at the Port of Long Beach , about a potential game-changer in global trade: a 90-day pause in US-China tariffs. With blank sailings still biting and cargo volumes recently in freefall, Dr. Hacegaba explains why optimism is returning — and how the port is preparing for a possible early...