Since the early days of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted global supply chains, creating shortages of goods, even though ships, trains, trucks and planes continued to run, to the best of their ability. The infrastructure that supports global supply chain operations has struggled to absorb the continuing impacts emanating from COVID-19; including the need …
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. Average low-sulphur marine fuel prices had already risen to $726/mt prior to the Ukraine …
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 ports continuing to function normally – though with limited capacity – because many of the most profound …
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 cancelled sailings and surcharges. Shipping lines expanded their capacity …
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. Trains are still running along the Trans-Siberian route, but Russian Railways has been …
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 claw back as much cash as …
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 unprecedented scale for the global shipping lines, with Maersk expecting 2022 to be another bumper …
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 off the crew and leaving the Felicity Ace to …
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 freight growth was 6.5% compared to …
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 of reasons, have often failed to come through with the solutions …