Liverpool container port congestion raises questions over viability as vehicle booking slots become increasingly difficult to obtain and collections that would normally take two hours are now lasting the best part of a day, with restricted haulier access leading to major slowdowns in the flow of cargo.
South China service update
Following the discovery of new coronavirus cases in southern China congestion is spreading to all surrounding ports in Guangdong Province, including Shekou and Nansha, with pandemic control efforts creating congestion, transport and logistics delays across the region.
Yantian extend export container controls
Yantian International Container Terminal (YICT) is starting to receive laden containers again, but with a significant backlog due to the receiving stop.
60% of containers being short shipped
Shippers from Asia to Europe continue to see increases in rates, carriers are cancelling sailings in an effort to restore schedule reliability and cargo-rolling at many origin and transhipment ports, has seen up to 60% of containers being short shipped last month.
Sea freight demand continues to outstrip equipment availability
Demand from Asia to North Europe and the UK remains extremely strong, with shipping line backlogs for confirmed bookings already pushing into June and equipment shortages across China and Southeast Asia continuing.
Sea freight rates could be firm till 2023
With demand likely to remain high and additional capacity not due for a few more years, the shipping lines look set to reap a revenue harvest until new vessels begin to be delivered in 2023.
Carriers fear weeks of delays and equipment shortages
Congestion in North Europe’s major ports will reach “critical” levels over the next four weeks as container terminals struggle to turnaround ships embroiled in the six-day Suez Canal closure and shipping lines are expecting that many services will miss one to two sailings, which will negatively impact capacity in the second quarter.
Lines stop accepting bookings as Suez blockage bites
The mega-container ship Ever Given has been recovered and the Suez Canal is unblocked, but the real problems for shippers have just begun, with some lines refusing to accept Asia bookings (in either direction) blanked sailings announced and the ripples of disruption likely to touch all aspects of global Maritime trade.
Suez Canal jam will create more than port congestion
The Evergreen Ever Given has been grounded sideways since Tuesday morning, blocking vessels in both directions along the Suez Canal, creating one of the worst shipping jams seen in years and threatening even more chaos, when the grounded vessel, together with those behind it, arrive at their destination.
Lack of container equipment may resolve
It is the inefficient circulation of containers that has provided one of the biggest supply chain challenges, as the pandemic-caused slowdown in the redistribution of container equipment, combined with sharply higher volumes, has reduced overall system capacity, driving up rates and creating global delays.
