A report The impact on trade and development of the war in Ukraine by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) warns 1.5 million containers of Asia-Europe rail cargo could be re-routed to the ocean freight market and drive freight rates even higher. The war between Ukraine and Russia has disrupted land and […]
Read MoreU.S. importers are already starting to reset their supply chains to avoid disruptions ahead of potentially contentious contract talks this summer between West Coast dockworkers and the companies that manage the flow of goods through ports. Some shippers are pulling forward their holiday-season orders to get them into domestic networks early, logistics operators said, and […]
Read MoreThe cost of fuel reflects the most immediate impact on shipping of the conflict. However, in the weeks ahead, analysts predict a broad fallout from Russia’s aggression which has generated widespread condemnation and protests too from ordinary Russian people. The bunker price hikes did not mirror the leap in spot crude prices which saw Brent […]
Read MoreGlobal port congestion will continue going into Q2, container shipping analysts tell shippers. Asia-based Linerlytica reports escalating port congestion at North America, with ports on both the East and West coasts recording new highs. The company calculates that 10% of the global containership fleet, the equivalent of 2.53m TEU, is presently tied up by port […]
Read MoreIn February port congestion seemed to be reaching a plateau. The evidence to support that conclusion was the line of ships waiting for a berth at Los Angeles/Long Beach, which had seen a steep decline for the first time in a while. Unlike in the past, it seems that was not due to changing the […]
Read MoreThe World Trade Organization’s (WTO) chief economist said last week that global trade bottlenecks are the result of a surge in demand rather than a supply chain disruption. The expectation is for pressure to ease in the coming months. The WTO had believed demand for goods would slow in early 2022 but the Omicron variant […]
Read MoreThere is growing agreement in the maritime industry that current supply chain disruptions will persist throughout 2022. Alphaliner reported a 26% surge in container ships purchased in 2021, the equivalent of 1.94 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). In the charter market, rates have reached record highs. Alphaliner said liners have acted to secure tonnage before […]
Read MoreThe International Chamber of Shipping is calling on shipping stakeholders and governments to help prevent Russian and Ukrainian seafarers from becoming ‘collateral damage’ in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. According to a 2021 report published by BIMCO and ICS, there are 1.89 million seafarers operating over 74,000 vessels in the global merchant fleet. The report estimates that 10.5% […]
Read MoreShenzhen might have got through the worst of another Covid lockdown, but the ripple effects of China’s battle with omicron are seeing ships back up along the nation’s coastline with carriers forced to change schedules to avoid growing congestion issues. Shenzhen came out of a seven-day lockdown yesterday, and while its port workers were allowed […]
Read MoreAfter two weeks since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there seems to be a negligible impact on the container prices and leasing rates in China. Container availability has improved soon after the Chinese New Year until Friday across key ports in China. However, with the announcement of nationwide lockdowns, the supply chain must prepare for another […]
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