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Senior executives from the world's leading shipping companies and industry groups highlighted the growing operational and economic challenges facing goods trade during a meeting with World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
At the meeting, they pointed out that while global supply chains have demonstrated resilience, efforts to identify and utilize alternative maritime routes in the face of disruptions, particularly in the Gulf region and other critical points, are raising costs for carriers and, ultimately, for consumers.
Industry representatives indicated that while they were adapting and innovating, increasing capacity constraints in transport networks presented serious difficulties. With some alternative land routes and ports already saturated, diverting cargo from maritime routes imposes significant limitations and ever-increasing costs.
According to the WTO report, one executive highlighted the difference in scale, noting that it takes about 70 freight trains to match the capacity of a single container ship.
Sector representatives also reported operational bottlenecks, such as customs delays related to multimodal logistics and the use of alternative corridors. These limitations, coupled with rising costs and route uncertainty, underscore the importance of investing in improving port and logistics infrastructure globally to maintain efficient and predictable trade flows.
Industry executives emphasized the importance of respecting multilateral rules and agreements, including the long-standing principle of freedom of navigation.
Director-General Okonjo-Iweala highlighted the fundamental role of maritime transport, which carries over 80% of global trade by volume, and called for stronger cooperation between governments and the private sector.
In response to the sector's concerns about customs delays, the executive stressed the importance of the full implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement and other facilitation measures, such as the digitalization of customs procedures, timely information exchange, and moderation in the use of trade restrictions to support the resilience and stability of supply chains.
The Director-General encouraged industry representatives to continue collaborating with the WTO Secretariat and other international organizations to highlight the growing challenges they face.
Participants in the meeting included senior executives from shipping and logistics groups MSC, CMA CGM, Cosco Shipping, Hapag-Lloyd, Ocean Network Express (ONE), Evergreen Marine, Yang Ming and China Merchants Energy Shipping, as well as the directors of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (Fiata) and the World Shipping Council.
Source: portalportuario
