Good morning, friends. We have a raft of updates this morning with news flowing in across the region, cutting across several sectors. But first, Trump’s strong-arm tactics have grabbed him a W in his tit-for-tat with Colombia…

THE BIG LOGISTICS STORY- Colombia avoids trade tussle with the US: The US and Colombia have avoided a trade war after Colombia agreed to accept military planes transporting deported migrants. US President Donald Trump had threatened to impose a 25% tariff on Colombian goods after the country refused to allow the US aircraft to land, and threatened to raise the tariffs to 50% after one week. In response, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced a retaliatory 25% tariff on US goods. The US received around 41% of Colombia’s seaborne crude exports lastyear.

A ripple effect: Despite the quick turn-around, global markets were shaken by the potential tariffs, leaving a “broad-based negative sentiment in the market,” SEB chief commodities analyst Bjarne Schieldrop told Reuters. “Even if the sanctions didn’t take place, this still creates nervousness that Trump will bully whoever needs to be bullied to get his way.”

Taking a step back: Global policymakers should not react in haste to the Trump administration's announcements and wait to see what policies are actually enacted, World Bank President Ajay Banga told Reuters. “My only advice to everyone is don’t be in too much of a hurry to respond or judge,” Banga said.

The story grabbed a lot on ink in the int’l press: Reuters | AP News | Bloomberg | Financial Times | The Washington Post | The New York Times | CNN | BBC | CBS News

HAPPENING THIS WEEK-

The World Cargo Summit kicked off yesterday and will run through tomorrow in Ostend, Belgium. The event focuses on air cargo economics, strategy, and market trends, with a specific focus on how the industry will tackle disruptions and how firms can adapt their business models. The event features dozens of industry experts, executives, and leadership as speakers, including from our region, such as the CEO of Egyptair Cargo Ehab AlTahtawy, and Oman Air’s Head of Cargo Mike Duggan.

The ShipTek International Conference will open its doors tomorrow and wrap on Thursday in Dubai. The two-day conference will gather industry experts, including managing director at Hapag-Lloyd Carolin Stumm, CEO Adani Ports Nicolai Friis, VP International Maritime Industries Justin Taylor, CEO Tristra Tim Coffin, and others to discuss new tech and developments in the maritime industry.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- AD Ports is in discussions with the Georgian government to expand its investments in the country’s logistics and transportation sectors, according to a statement from Georgia’s Economy Minister, Levan Davitashvili.

REMEMBER- AD Ports finalized the acquisition of a 60% stake in Georgia’s Tbilisi Dry Port from Inveco in August after inking an agreement back in March. The new custom-bonded and rail-connected international hub serves as a key link in the Middle Corridor, connecting Western Asia's manufacturing hubs to Eastern Europe.

#2- Asyad Shipping eyes bns in investments as it preps for IPO: Oman’s Asyad Group’s wholly-owned subsidiary Asyad Shipping (ASC) intends to invest between USD 2.3 bn to USD 2.7 bn as part of its medium-term diversification and fleet expansion strategies, according to its recently published intention-to-float document (pdf).

ICYMI- Asyad Group issued its intention to float at least a 20% stake in ASC on the Muscat Stock Exchange last week, with Asyad’s LNG transport unit reportedly seeking a valuation of USD 1 bn.

Seizing the moment: The firm’s robust market outlook is driven by positive global market dynamics across its segments, with stable growth in the global demand and supply for crude oil, LNG, and refined fossil products, as well as Oman’s expanding capacity in crude and gas production and refining. Future growth in the need to adapt and move low carbon fuels — including LNG and green hydrogen — are also two areas in which the company is well positioned to seize on, given Oman’s investments in becoming a hub for green hydrogen transportation, which includes green ammonia, green methanol, and other green hydrogen derivatives, Oman Observer wrote.

MARKET WATCH-

#1- Oil prices at almost three-week low despite uptick: Oil prices are at almost a three-week low — despite an uptick this morning — on the back of weak economic data from China and warming weather driving demand down, Reuters reports. Brent crude futures were up USD 0.42 to USD 77.50 a barrel by GMT 04.30, while the more active US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures increased USD 0.34 to USD 73.51 a barrel, still its lowest since 2 January.

#2- Baltic index maintains downward trajectory: The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk sea freight index — which tracks rates for the capesize, panamax, and supramax vessel segments — fell 17 points to 761 on Monday, its lowest since February 2023. The capesize index dropped 25 points to 958, while the panamax index dipped 315 points to 759 — its lowest since May 2020. The smaller supramax index eased by 10 points to 629.

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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

The UAE will host the Middle East Bunkering Convention from Monday, 3 February to Wednesday, 5 February in Dubai. The event will focus on the marine fuels sector to address the future of the industry in light of geopolitical issues, environmental regulation, and the future of artificial intelligence and digitalization.

Saudi Arabia will host the Airport Expansion Conference from Tuesday, 4 February to Wednesday, 5 February in Riyadh. The two-day conference will feature over 30 speakers to discuss challenges faced by Saudi Airports and highlight Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 with a clear focus on expansion, tech, and strategic partnerships.

The UAE will host the Middle East Breakbulk Conference from Monday, 10 February to Tuesday, 11 February in Dubai. The event gathers giant manufacturers, EPCs, and service providers to discuss the latest solutions in breakbulk and heavy-lift logistics across the Middle East and Africa. The two-day event features an artificial intelligence (AI) seminar, a heavy lift workshop, a chartering workshop, and a women in breakbulk panel.

Check out our full calendar at the bottom of this email for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events and news triggers.

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