Containers continue to be in short supply – particularly in the places where they’re needed most – with wait times varying region to region, country to country and port to port. And even the world’s biggest shipping lines are not sure when their containers will be available, or where. Despite relationships going back decades, long-standing …
Demand for imports from Asia and the Indian subcontinent (ISC) continues to outstrip shipping line capacity, in a sign that with inventories low, second-half volumes are unlikely to let up, keeping pressure on a global supply chain infrastructure that is already buckling. The UK’s primary container ports will be expecting a spike in imports from …
Economists are convinced that global sea freight demand will continue to outstrip container shipping capacity for the rest of this year and into next year, which is good news for the shipping lines’ bottom line, but not so much for shippers, who continue to pay premiums in order to get their product moved. Consumer and …
Sea freight spot rates have surged further on the trans-Atlantic trade and routes ex-Asia, as a month of port restrictions, congestion and disruption across south China ports diminishes container shipping’s already severe global capacity and equipment shortages. Shortages of space and equipment continue, as market demand exceeds supply and rates keep climbing, with blank sailings in June …
Global supply chains have been under pressure since the outbreak of COVID-19 at the beginning of last year, highlighting deficiencies that have resulted in disruption, delays and rising costs. Along with a roller coaster journey from start to finish. In time, most of the congestion and disruption we currently face will dissipate, containers will be in …
There cannot have been many weeks when we were either warning of impending rate increases, highlighting recent increases, or explaining why further rises were likely. And while we have protected our customers from the worst excesses of the lines, this article by Mike Wackett for The Loadstar lays bare the stark reality for some shippers. In normal times …
Hutchison Port’s Yantian International Container Terminal (YICT) have announced that they will resume full operation from 00:00 on the 24th June, with effective controls of COVID-19 in place in the port areas and daily handling capacity increasing to 27,000 teu’s when all 11 berths return to normal operating levels. All berths, including those in the west port area, …
Chaotic sea freight markets are driving delayed distressed planned ocean cargo over to faster air freight, creating an artificial early peak season, in which massive global demand meeting limited capacity, means that only the highest paying cargo will make it out of Asia on a flight, regardless of destination. ‘Pay to play’ seems to be the driver behind the current market dynamics. The highest …
Rising shipping rates, sea freight disruption and port congestion, will only come to an end when global consumer demand eases, shipping lines believe. But as demand continues to outstrip supply, shippers are already in for a bumpy and expensive summer, with backlogs of growth and inventory stocking leading to an earlier and longer period of peak pressure for capacity placed on …
With increased support from key carrier partners, Metro has recommenced routing air freight traffic directly to our Birmingham Airport hub, from key Middle East and Asia origins, as well as trucking consignments directly from southern airports and mainland Europe. Alongside Heathrow, Gatwick and City airports, Birmingham International is one of the UK’s only designated airports for direct flights …