A bumpy road ahead

August should be a quiet month of maintaining business levels, with activity picking up again in September without any major developments, but the truth is that this month is not like that.

We are living through a period of unprecedented global uncertainty due to armed conflicts and the stances taken by the main countries involved in them. Furthermore, we are in the midst of a major bilateral trade war over global economic hegemony. What could possibly go wrong?

Although old Europe isn’t fully embroiled in the ‘fight’ (for better or worse), it’s still taking the brunt of it. We felt the consequences at the time of the massive surge in commodity prices following the war in Ukraine, and fuel prices drove up the cost of everything else (apart from products such as cereals, which had already risen without any help).

Yesterday, fuel prices once again edged towards record highs when the United States decided that Iran had crossed its red line, but they were ultimately held in check by the mirage of an agreement between the opposing sides in the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly 20 per cent of the world’s crude oil passes.

Today, that mirage is fading once more, like someone approaching an oasis in the desert, whilst crude oil is weighing ever more heavily on the pockets of half the world.

Meanwhile, in Spain, we in the transport sector – and, for our part, the food liquids transport sector – are once again relying on government promises that sound like support for the sector in the form of rebates and compensation for fuel price rises. We are working on it, but we know from past experience that it is difficult to finalise this support and that by the time the money starts to flow, too much time has already passed.

To be specific, diesel prices in Europe in the second quarter of 2026 rose by 27 per cent compared with the same period in 2025, reaching €2.19 per litre, causing operating costs to rise by approximately 10 per cent according to the French Comité National Routier, and this increase is set to be passed on to shippers.

As if that were not enough, as we mentioned in our previous post, road transport faces a significant shortage of skilled workers, amounting to 13 per cent of all vacancies. To put this into perspective, nearly half a million jobs need to be filled. This means that companies lack the flexibility to adapt to changes in demand, leading to higher operating costs.

So the outlook is not the best. There is high demand for the transport of liquid foodstuffs, but the challenges facing the sector are unpredictable and complex because the solution generally lies in macroeconomics.

Be that as it may, we will continue to do what we do best and remain committed to our customers.