Thirty kilos of opium seized in truck in Trieste
Italy’s Financial Police and Customs Agency have seized 30 kilos of opium paste in the port of Trieste, concealed inside a lorry arriving from the Turkish port of Mersin. The drug had been hidden within firebricks and resin artefacts, arranged to resemble a decorative brazier. The shipment, entirely assembled in Iraq, was bound for a logistics company in the Netherlands. International investigations are underway to identify the true senders and intended recipients behind the illicit traffic.
Msc Air Cargo joins Barig
Msc Air Cargo has joined the Board of Airline Representatives in Germany (Barig), becoming part of a group of over 30 international carriers working to improve coordination in air freight transport across Europe, Asia and the Americas. The announcement was made by Michael Hoppe, president and executive director of Barig, who highlighted Msc’s valuable experience in the sector. Barig’s recently restructured Cargo Committee will lead joint initiatives to address challenges such as high operational costs and complex procedures.
Dkv Mobility exceeds one million charging points across Europe
Dkv Mobility, a platform for mobility services, has surpassed one million electric vehicle charging points across Europe. Active in the electric mobility sector since 2015, the company has expanded its network at a rate of 8,000 new points per month. Coverage is nearly complete in Germany, France and Italy, as well as along Europe’s main transport corridors. In 2024 alone, around 755 million kWh were delivered, equivalent to five million kilometres travelled. Over 789,000 charging cards are currently in circulation.
US funds acquire grain terminal in Odessa
Two US investment funds, Argentem Creek Partners and Innovatus Capital Partners, have taken control of the Olimpex grain terminal in the port of Odessa, which has an annual capacity of five million tonnes. The decision was confirmed by a Lviv court, according to the Financial Times on 14 July 2025. Burdened with \$95 million in debt and previously controlled by Ukrainian entities with opaque ownership structures, the facility is set to resume operations in September 2025. The acquisition comes amid heightened tensions over Black Sea grain exports. In the 2024/25 agricultural year, Ukraine exported 43.7 million tonnes of grain up to June.
Maersk opens logistics hub in Panama Pacifico
Maersk has opened a new logistics centre covering more than 20,000 square metres in Panama Pacifico, a Special Economic Zone on Panama’s Pacific coast. The facility is designed to serve as a centralised distribution hub for companies operating in Latin America, North America and Asia. With 10,952 pallet slots, 3,824 container positions and 2,558 floor positions, the centre supports multi-country omni-channel management, warehousing, cross-docking and value-added services. Integrated into Maersk’s global network, it offers sea, land and air connections, with direct access to the Pan-American Highway, the Panama Canal Railway and Tocumen International Airport.
First hybrid electric tug delivered in Panama
The Panama Canal Authority has taken delivery of Isla Barro Colorado, the first hybrid electric tug in a new series of ten units built by Armon Shipyards at its facilities in Vigo, Spain. Measuring 28.9 metres in length and 14 metres in beam, the vessel has a maximum draught of 6.2 metres and a bollard pull of 80 tonnes. It is powered by two 2,331 kW engines connected to Twin Disc MCD5000 transmissions. Its advanced design and technologies make it suitable for complex manoeuvres in the Panama Canal.
US ports request delay on tariffs for Chinese cranes
US port operators are requesting more time before implementing tariffs on port cranes, which are currently suspended, in anticipation that the Trump administration will follow through on its pledge to ban the use of such Chinese-made equipment. The measures, proposed by the US Trade Representative (USTR), would impose tariffs of up to 100% after China, via Zpmc, secured around 80% of the US market. Zpmc has supplied more than 200 cranes to ports including Houston, Los Angeles and New York. Each crane costs between $10 million and $20 million. Joe Biden had also imposed a 25% tariff in 2024 following warnings from US security agencies about potential cybersecurity threats linked to critical infrastructure.
