The Freight Buyers' Club

In this episode of The Freight Buyers Club , Mike King speaks with Zvi Schreiber, CEO of Freightos, about the sudden and dramatic tariff truce between the U.S. and China. With duties dropping for 90 days, Zvi breaks down the implications for container shipping, forecasting a potential early peak season and a short-term surge in demand. He also warns that while rates may spike, actual price movemen...

In a groundbreaking development, the US and China have announced a 90-day pause in their ongoing tariff war. As businesses and shippers brace for what's next, we dive deep into the implications of this truce for global supply chains. In this episode, host Mike King is joined by John McCauley , BCO consultant, JOC columnist, and former VP of Transportation & Logistics at Cargill, to break down...

In this exclusive Freight Buyers’ Club interview, World Shipping Council CEO & President Joe Kramek unpacks the impact of the U.S. port fees on China-built vessels, why the policy may backfire on U.S. exporters and manufacturers, and how it blindsided vehicle carriers. We also explore the bigger picture: the ongoing trade disruptions, their impact on container shipping, and what a comprehensiv...

In this deep-dive in US shipping policy, maritime analyst Sal Mercogliano and industry expert John McCown join us to break down one of the biggest stories in global shipping: America’s push to reclaim maritime power. We unpack the political, economic, and strategic moves shaping the future of US shipping — and what they mean for freight buyers , port operators , and the global supply chain . From...

Major new U.S. shipping policies are here — and they’re shaking global trade. In this special two-part episode of the Freight Buyers’ Club , produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group , we break down the latest U.S. tariffs , port fee changes , and policy strategy shifts that are reshaping global trade, logistics and freight. In Part One: Tactical Insights for Shippers & Importers We’r...

Tariffs on. Tariffs off. And no one’s quite sure what comes next. In this episode, host Mike King digs into the chaos surrounding U.S. trade policy, as shippers, retailers, and forwarders scramble to make sense of the White House’s shifting stance on China, exemptions, and trade deals. With tariffs appearing and disappearing overnight, the cost of global sourcing and international supply chains ha...

In this exclusive interview, The Freight Buyers’ Club host Mike King speaks to Aditi Rasquinha, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Greater China, about the evolving dynamics of global trade and supply chains amid a spiralling US-China trade war. From navigating the new US tariff regime to understanding China's automation advantage, Aditi shares how major shippers are rethinking resilience, rerouting fre...

With new Trump administration tariffs set to take effect on April 2, 2025—dubbed “Tariff Day” or even “Liberation Day” by some—businesses are bracing for impact. In this special episode of Freight Buyers Club , host Mike King speaks with Cindy Allen, CEO of Trade Force Multiplier and former U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) insider, about the evolving trade landscape. They break down the la...

This two-part episode of The Freight Buyers’ Club Podcast , produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group, unpacks the biggest trade and freight disruptions of 2025, from new U.S. tariffs and de minimis rule changes to air cargo market challenges and supply chain resilience strategies . In Part 1, host Mike King is joined by Greg Knowler (Senior Editor-Europe, Journal of Commerce) and Cindy A...

In this episode of The Freight Buyers’ Club , host Mike King is joined by ocean freight executive Stephanie Loomis, who brings over 30 years of industry experience at major logistics providers including DHL, DB Schenker, Kuehne + Nagel, and Rhenus. Fresh from the TPM25 conference in Long Beach, Stephanie and Mike break down the key takeaways from the event and analyse the seismic shifts happening...

Fresh U.S. tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China are reshaping global trade dynamics, creating unprecedented challenges for businesses worldwide. Filmed live at #TPM25 in Long Beach on March 4, in this episode of The Freight Buyers' Club, Paul Bingham, Director of Transportation Consulting at S&P Global Market Intelligence, offers an in-depth analysis of these transformative trade policies.   S...

As news broke at #TPM25 in Long Beach that MSC/BlackRock had acquired most of Hutchison Port Holdings' global port network—including key Panama terminals flagged by President Trump for excessive Chinese control—host Mike King breaks down the deal with container shipping expert Lars Jensen, CEO of Vespucci Maritime. They also dive into tariff wars, the container shipping outlook, Suez, and potentia...

In this special episode of The Freight Buyers’ Club, recorded at #TPM25 and produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group, host Mike King speaks with Dr. Noel Hacegaba, Chief Operating Officer at the Port of Long Beach. They discuss the port’s record-breaking 2024 and the key trends shaping global trade in 2025. ✅ Will shippers stick with the West Coast, or will traffic shift back east? ✅ H...

At #TPM25, host Mike King recorded an exclusive interview with Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd. They discussed the shifting landscape of global shipping, the Gemini Cooperation with Maersk and its goal of achieving 90% schedule reliability, how shippers are responding to tariff uncertainties, and whether customers will pay a premium for reliability. Rolf also shared insights on investment p...

The global trading landscape is experiencing seismic shifts under President Trump's administration. In this pivotal episode of The Freight Buyers' Club (https://www.thefreightbuyersclub.com/) , we decode the impact of new tariffs, de minimis rule changes, and escalating geopolitical tensions reshaping supply chains worldwide. Join host Mike King with two industry powerhouses: Bronson Hsieh, former...

  In this standalone interview from EP34 of the  The Freight Buyers' Club (https://www.thefreightbuyersclub.com/) , produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group,  host Mike King speaks with maritime law expert Lauren Beagen, ‘The Maritime Professor’ , about the top five regulatory and policy issues that could impact freight buyers in 2025: Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Leadership & P...

In episode 34 of The Freight Buyers' Club (https://www.thefreightbuyersclub.com/) , produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group (https://dimerco.com/), we dive into the critical factors shaping this year's ocean freight contract negotiations. As the transpacific contracting season approaches at TPM25 to be held at Long Beach at the start of March, we examine how spot rates, minimum quantity...

In this illuminating episode of The Freight Buyers Club Insight series, produced with the support of Ontegos Cloud (https://www.ontegos.cloud/), host Mike King sits down with Mads Drejer, Global CCO and COO of Scan Global Logistics, for a wide-ranging discussion on freight markets and modern logistics leadership. From navigating tariff wars to embracing what Drejer calls our new state of "permacri...

In this episode of The Freight Buyers’ Club Insight series ( https://www.thefreightbuyersclub.com ) , host Mike King sits down with Neel Jones Shah—former senior executive at Flexport, Delta, and United—to dissect the biggest forces shaping air cargo in 2025. From Trump’s latest tariffs and their impact on e-commerce exports to the slow pace of air freight digitalization, Neel shares candid insigh...

Philip Damas, Managing Director at Drewry Shipping Consultants and head of Drewry Supply Chain Advisors, delivers an in-depth analysis of container shipping markets, current market trends, the supply-demand balance and what the possible reopening of the Suez Canal means for freight rates. He also shares actionable advice for shippers: from negotiating freight contracts amid market volatility, to p...

In episode 31 of The Freight Buyers' Club , produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group,  we explore the strategies and insights shippers need to navigate the ever-changing world of freight procurement and supply chain management. First, Alan Mctaggart, VP of Global Logistics at Techtronic Industries (TTI), shares invaluable lessons from his 35-year career, including his role in scaling TTI...

In this Insight episode of The Freight Buyers’ Club , host Mike King is joined by Robbert van Trooijen, founder of Inception Partners and former Regional President for Maersk, to provide forwarders and shippers with expert insights into the pressing challenges shaping supply chains in early 2025. With U.S. East and Gulf Coast port strikes potentially disrupting global trade from January 15, Presid...

Is a US port strike in January good for container lines? This is an extended clip from EP 29 of The Freight Buyers' Club featuring host Mike King, Lars Jensen, CEO, Vespucci Maritime and Peter Tirschwell, VP, S&P Global. Big thanks to Dimerco Express Group ( https://dimerco.com/ ) for supporting independent journalism. The full episode is available on all podcast platforms, YouTube and at http...

In this episode of The Freight Buyers’ Club , host Mike King is joined by Lars Jensen, CEO of Vespucci Maritime, and Peter Tirschwell, Journal of Commerce veteran and VP at S&P Global, to explore the latest challenges and opportunities facing global trade and shipping. From the implications of Donald Trump's return to the White House and potential new tariffs on China, to the looming threat of...

In this episode of  The Freight Buyers' Club , we tackle a turbulent few weeks for global logistics. With parcels network security being tightened following the DHL plane crash in Vilnius, we explore the implications for freight safety and geopolitical tensions. Guests dissect how a new wave of tariffs under Trump 2.0 could impact global trade, US importers and exporters, and shippers pivoting sup...