The sea and air alternative from China
China to Europe rail freight services have grown massively since the advent of the COVID pandemic, with volumes surging 29% last year. But with services transiting Russia and Belarus sanctioned and the Ukraine route halted, the equivalent of 1.46 million TEU needs alternative solutions....
Read more Lines grow capacity and now cancel sailings
The container shipping lines have been increasing their capacity out of Asia, based on strong demand expectations through 2021 and while the increase of deployed capacity has extended, at least through the first few months of 2022, lines are now reacting to short-term demand fluctuation with canc...
Read more China ship queues growing with further disruption to schedules
Despite key Chinese ports, including Shenzhen and Shanghai, operating normally, land-side logistics disruption, in the wake of the latest Covid-related lockdowns is inevitable and vessel queues are growing.
Queues of container ships outside major Chinese ports are lengthening, despite por...
Read more Bracing for continued fuel surcharge increases – if it moves it needs an engine
Fuel prices were already on the way up before Russia decided to invade its neighbour and the additional volatility and uncertainty created by the conflict in Ukraine are significant enough to drive oil and fuel prices to levels not seen before. Or at least since the 1970’s relatively.
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Read more Record-breaking numbers of new ships may be placebo
Container shipping lines have used massive profits accrued since 2020, to refresh their fleets with modern, high-spec vessels, but their investment may only slightly alleviate port congestion and equipment shortages.
Soaring freight rates, post-Covid lockdown, have generated cash on an unprece...
Read more Sea freight facing even more challenges
Low-sulphur fuel container ship bunker prices have increased by a third since Russia’s move on Ukraine, with bunker surcharges rising around 15% and expected to spike further with crude oil hitting new highs of more than double the price at the beginning of the year.
Expect the carriers to c...
Read more Out of position empty containers may cause further supply chain impact later this year
When global supply chains finally start to return to some form of normality, which many hope to see in the second half of the year, carriers face more headaches, with an avalanche of empty containers predicted to cause chaos. Who would have thought it?
Full year 2021 demand for sea freigh...
Read more Valuable automotive RoRo vessel abandoned mid-Atlantic – and it is fully loaded
The Felicity Ace - which has not sadly sunk - was en-route from Germany to the USA, with 4,000 Volkswagen AG vehicles aboard, when it caught fire near the Azores islands in the Atlantic Ocean last week. The Portuguese Air Force were the first to arrive at the stricken vessel, air-lifting of...
Read more Protecting our customers supply chains – future proofing during a tough time
We are taking all necessary steps to secure capacity, to protect our customers’ air and sea freight needs through expanded carrier relationships and selected charter deals.
Even against the background of low capacity and record-breaking spot rates, airlines and shipping lines, for a variety ...
Read more The World’s biggest container line freezes out small shippers
Leading shipping line, Maersk, has decided to focus on its largest volume customers, in a move that jeopardises the future of SME forwarders and leaves many shippers potentially exposed.
It is widely reported in the trade press, that small and medium-sized freight forwarders fear for thei...
Read more China’s continued zero-Covid challenge for supply chains
The lockdowns and restrictions that China’s zero-Covid strategy risk, may create greater disruption than earlier waves of the pandemic, threatening already stretched global supply chains.
Beijing’s strict zero-Covid policy has curbed local outbreaks with mass testing, snap lockdowns, vigil...
Read more Metro launch enhanced tracking tool as on-time ship arrivals hit six-year low
With global shipping schedule reliability at a six-year low and just 33% of ships arriving on time, during a chaotic year for container shipping, Metro Shipping is enhancing its MVT supply chain platform, with even greater scrutiny of real-time vessel tracking.
The ability of vessels to h...
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