Trendwatch: FAA says US air traffic control staffing issues cause more flight delays; Fire at Bangladesh Airport Could Cost Local Garment Industry $1B; Trump vows to keep ‘massive’ tariffs on India until Russian oil imports cease

FAA says US air traffic control staffing issues cause more flight delays

The Federal Aviation Administration said late Sunday that air traffic control staffing issues were delaying travel at airports in Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta and Newark as a U.S. government shutdown hit its 19th day.

The FAA said numerous staffing triggers had been received for the evening shift and flights could also be delayed in Las Vegas and Phoenix because of air traffic control absences.

FlightAware said more than 5,800 flights had been delayed on Sunday. Weather issues and a Formula 1 race in Austin were also impacting flights.

Fire at Bangladesh airport could cost local garment industry $1B

A coalition of garment manufacturers is warning that a recent fire at the cargo complex for Bangladesh's largest airport could lead to $1 billion in losses.

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport's cargo import area caught fire on October 18, injuring at least 35 people, destroying vast amounts of clothes and raw materials, and taking more than a day to fully extinguish. According to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), losses from the fire included urgent shipments that were "essential for securing new buyers and expanding orders." 

Trump vows to keep ‘massive’ tariffs on India until Russian oil imports cease

President Donald Trump reiterated on Sunday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told him India will stop buying Russian oil, while warning that New Delhi would continue paying "massive" tariffs if it did not do so.

"I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India, and he said he's not going to be doing the Russian oil thing," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Longshore unions to meet for global anti-automation summit

Maritime labor led by U.S. and European longshore unions will meet in November to protest port automation they say is threatening their jobs.

“People Over Profit: Anti-Automation Conference” is scheduled for Nov. 5-6 in Lisbon, Portugal is being jointly organized by the U.S.-based International Longshoremen’s Association and the International Dockworkers Council of Barcelona.

Progress reported on California-China green shipping corridor

U.S. and Chinese officials are reporting that good progress has been made in the early phases for the launch of the first green shipping corridor on the Pacific. The sponsors of the project highlighted the progress during a conference in Shanghai while China’s Ministry of Transport also outlined steps it will be taking to expand green shipping.

EU pledges stronger cost-curbing measures for new CO2 market

The European Union will propose stronger measures to curb emissions costs in a new and controversial carbon market to help address concerns that consumers will struggle to afford to heat homes and fill up cars.

An emissions-trading scheme to cover buildings and road transport is due to kick in in 2027, but has been criticized by many member states over concerns that prices will rise sharply once it’s introduced. EU climate chief Wopke Hoekstra will announce the measures limiting those increases at a meeting of climate ministers on October 21, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a letter to leaders.

Russia, China finalize deal to jointly develop Arctic shipping along the Northern Sea route

Beijing and Moscow have agreed to jointly develop and commercialize shipping along the Northern Sea Route in the Russian Arctic.

The deal was signed in the Chinese city of Harbin last week between the Director of Rosatom, Alexey Likhachev, and China’s Minister of Transport, Liu Wei. Rosatom is Russia’s state enterprise in charge of Arctic shipping and the country’s nuclear icebreaker fleet. The meeting was part of a joint committee on cooperation on the Northern Sea Route established last year. 

Munich Airport's cargo volumes surge 10% in six months

Munich Airport has reported its air cargo volumes rose by 10% during the last six months as it strives to strengthen its role as a major European air hub.

The German airport said it recorded a total of 182,000 tons of cargo between 31 March and 12 October.

With this cargo volume, Munich Airport said it has set a new record and is now above the cargo volumes seen in 2019.

Commodity vessels clog up China ports as fees on U.S. ships begin

Waiting times for commodity vessels queued off China’s ports increased to the lengthiest this year, as the geopolitical sparring between Beijing and Washington disrupts global trade.

It took an average of 2.66 days for a vessel to get into a berth after arrival in the week to October 19, according to Bloomberg calculations based on data from ship-tracking platform Kpler. That’s an increase of 17% on-week, and the longest period this year, the calculations show.

China is the world’s largest commodity importer, and vessel snarls — if prolonged — could ripple through the global supply chain, affecting liquid cargoes such as crude, as well as bulks like iron ore. Beijing and Washington have sparred over shipping, with China introducing a hefty extra fee on vessels known to have American links, following a similar U.S. move. The maritime friction forms one part of the nations’ larger trade dispute.