Supply Chain

Shipping lines get creative with charges

With sea freight rates so low, below cost on many important trade lanes the container shipping lines are looking to surcharges and all manner of ancillary charges to boost their cash flows. Macro-economics continue to work against the shipping lines, with global demand suppressed and costs rising leaving them struggling to impose general rate increases,

Panama Canal situation may trigger wider supply chain issues

Following the driest year and October on record, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has been steadily cutting daily vessel transit numbers and draught levels across the canal, with some restrictions possibly staying in force until 2028, with wider supply chain ramifications. With each transit of the Panama Canal consuming a large amount of water, drought

Air cargo delays and ocean carriers announce Israel war risk surcharge

While sea freight traffic is largely operating without significant issues, the conflict in Israel is impacting airfreight to the country and the surrounding region, with many carriers’ services subject to cancellation and delay. Many airlines have suspended direct flights to and from Israel, with many international aviation authorities avoiding the region’s airspace, and no bookings

Carriers blank Golden Week sailings

The cancellation of multiple October sailings from Asia to Europe is an attempt by the carriers to push capacity down and raise rates, but if they fail, they may not have another opportunity to significantly raise prices before Chinese New Year, next February.  Container shipping lines across the three alliances have announced additional blank sailings

Risk of Panama Canal disruption rising

Unpredictable weather patterns and drought for most of 2023 have driven the Panama Canal Authority to impose numerous draft restrictions, reducing vessel transit numbers, and cutting vessel booking slots for lock usage, due to low water levels. The Panama Canal consists of the man-made lakes of Miraflores and Gatun, with the panamax locks taking vessels

The shipper’s new normal

The rapidity of the collapse in air and sea freight rates has given carriers the same level of trauma and shock experienced by shippers when freight rates exploded in  2021 and while the turnabout in the market was anticipated, its intensity and extent is far greater than expected, with shippers very much back in the

Visibility in the food supply chain

For many importers, the underlying problem that prevented them from pivoting their supply chain as the pandemic’s impact became more pervasive was lack of visibility and control upstream.  The food supply chain has stabilised since the pandemic, but new macro events continue to create disruption, including the war in Ukraine and the cost of living

Supercharging supply chains for growth

The pandemic laid bare the critical importance of supply chains and executives tasked with managing them are much more significant figures in their businesses, as continuing success is highly dependent on improving supply chains. For too many businesses the gap between supply chain planning, and the execution of that plan continues to grow, because the

Automotive trends – We are in lockstep 

In a sign of the growing strategic significance of supply chain management for carmakers, two major manufacturers have appointed chief supply chain officers (CSCO) this month. Their appointments come after the industry has battled disruption to production and supply chains, shortages in semiconductors, and supply and logistics cost and capacity challenges. The Ford and Renault