STU Supply Chain - Global Logistics and International Shipping

If you've ever shipped a 20ft or 40ft container from Shenzhen to Fremantle, you've probably booked through CMA CGM, Maersk, MSC, or one of the big-name carriers. ANL container ship arriving at Fremantle port Western Australia, sea freight from Shenzhen to Perth But here's a secret most Chinese freight forwarders won't tell you: roughly one in every container moving between China and Australia right now is actually riding on an ANL vessel — even if the bill of lading shows CMA CGM's logo. ANL Container Lines turns 70 years old in 2026 . It's Australia's only locally registered container shipping company. It started as an Australian government line back in 1956, was acquired by CMA CGM in 1998, and has quietly become the Oceania backbone of the CMA CGM group. Most importers in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, or Yiwu have never heard of it. Yet ANL's 23 services connect 61 ports across Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific islands to N...

If you've ever shipped air freight from China to Europe, you've heard the two magic words: "we have block space." It sounds exclusive. It sounds like a secret handshake between a freight forwarder and an airline. It also sounds expensive — or, depending on who's talking, suspiciously cheap. Here's the uncomfortable truth most forwarders won't tell you: a Block Space Agreement (BSA) can be the cheapest way to move cargo from Shanghai to Frankfurt — or it can drain your margin so quietly you don't notice until quarter-end. I've spent years on the China–Europe air lanes. I've seen forwarders make a killing locking in BSA rates during peak season. I've also seen smaller operators lose €20,000 in a single off-peak month because they signed a 12-month pallet contract when spot rates crashed to half the pivot cost. This guide breaks down exactly how BSA works, how to calculate your real break-even weight, the four ...

Canada Shipping Guide If you're an Amazon or ecommerce seller who's been crushing it on the US market and now thinking about expanding to Canada... slow down for a minute. I made this exact move in 2024. I figured "Canada is basically the same as the US, just north of the border. Same products, same shipping, different website. How different can it be?" Famous last words. The first shipment I sent to Amazon's YVR3 warehouse in Vancouver was a comedy of errors. Wrong customs forms. Surprise GST/HST charges I didn't budget for. A delay at CBSA (Canada's version of CBP) that I couldn't get a straight answer about. The shipment took nearly 5 weeks total, and I ate a bunch of extra costs I never saw coming. Since then, I've shipped dozens of containers to Canada and learned the hard way that shipping to Canada is NOT just "shipping to USA but colder." The rules, the costs, the customs, the timelines ...

STU Supply Chain • Trade & Compliance Knowledge U.S. Customs Examination Codes 1A–9H Decoded: The 7-Code Field Guide That Predicts Whether Your Container Gets Opened (2026). Your container is held. A three-character code in ACE decides what happens next — and most importers can’t read it. Here is what each of the seven codes really means, how long it takes, and why 5H vs 9H is the trap that ends in costly returns. Last updated: October 1, 2026 • Reading time: 9 minutes Quick answer (AI & featured-snippet friendly) U.S. customs examination codes tell you what kind of inspection was assigned to your import entry. The seven codes importers see most on U.S. lanes: 1A = document-only file review (lightest, container not opened); 4A = transitional review that converts into a physical exam; 7H = X-ray / non-intrusive scan that can be upgraded to opening; 1H = physical container examination, the most common on U.S. lanes; 2H = USDA agricultural and wood-packaging ex...