Currently, the global shortage of containers, bursting of containers, dumping of containers, port hopping, and crazy rise in freight rates have continued, and have not yet been effectively alleviated.
As the Spring Festival approaches, many logistics companies have issued orders and stop receiving notices, reminding cargo owners to order containers in advance…
You can’t book space even if you have money, and there is a serious shortage of 40HQ containers
In fact, even if the price rises, you still can’t book space even if you have money. to the current status of the cabin. Empty containers used for export from China are in extreme shortage, especially 40HQ containers. There is a large-scale shortage of containers, causing cargo owners to reserve space 3-4 weeks in advance on average.
One of the important reasons for the explosion and lack of cabinets is that the operating efficiency of overseas terminals has seriously declined due to the epidemic. Taking exports to the United States as an example, in principle, it takes 3-7 days for cabinets to be empty. It is about to be shipped back, but now basically the average of this number is about 21 days in the United States, and even 30 days in some southern European countries such as Italy and Spain. In addition, the operating efficiency of overseas terminals has also been severely affected by the epidemic. Among them, the trans-Pacific route (China-U.S.) has been the most affected, with the lowest on-time rate of only 26.4%, and ships waiting for berthing for as long as 1-2 weeks. , a large number of ships and containers were stranded at the terminal.
Nerijus Poskus, vice president of global ocean business at US freight forwarder Flexport, said that to meet current market demand, it will be necessary Hundreds of thousands of new containers.
The phenomenon of shipping companies’ price increases and charges continues, driving up transportation costs
At the same time, the phenomenon of shipping companies’ price increases and charges also continues Appear. There are also some companies that fish in troubled waters and “guarantee” additional recovery fees on board.
Faced with rising foreign transportation costs, some foreign trade companies have to cancel shipping orders, and some even withdraw from the foreign trade industry.
A senior freight forwarder said, “The current price of a container to Europe is almost US$16,000. This is a sky-high price. I have been in the industry for more than 20 years and have never encountered such a price. High prices.” According to data from the Baltic Daily Freight Index (FBX), on January 15, the spot price from China to Northern Europe reached US$7,701 per TEU, an increase of 268% compared to the price of US$2,095 in the same period last year.
However, the actual transaction data of the market may be much higher than the public index. Now it seems to be more than 7,700 US dollars. In fact, in the hands of shipping companies and freight forwarders who own shipping space, such a price cannot be obtained (space).
“Foreign trade companies book space with liner companies through international freight forwarding companies. In addition to paying high sea freight, they also need There are more than a dozen additional fees such as late ticket fee RMB200/ticket, VGM evening newspaper fee RMB450/box, etc., and none of the above fees have been reported to the transportation authorities and the prices have not been announced.”
According to surveys, under the current chaotic shipping market conditions, many shipping companies will also impose fuel surcharges, port congestion surcharges and other fees. In addition, there are cases where the price of goods is temporarily increased after booking. If you do not accept it, it will not be shipped, but after the price increase, there is no guarantee that it will be on board.
“Anyone who paid freight in 2020 knows that the true cost of shipping is even higher than the recently increased rates. We expect shipping costs to only increase in 2021,” said the Flexport vice president.
“We have been having difficulty shipping recently. We are short of boxes and space, and the prices are ridiculously high. Now the freight has increased fourfold, and a full container costs tens of thousands of dollars.” Personnel from companies engaged in exporting in Shenzhen said.
The investigation revealed a harsh reality: in the current chaotic shipping situation, in the face of rising costs and unpredictable markets, some companies have directly canceled space orders and no longer engage in foreign trade. industry.
The epidemic is raging around the world, and ports in many countries are currently in chaos. During this period, textile foreign traders not only have to worry about whether the shipment is smooth, but they also have to pay attention to the customs clearance situation of customers at the destination port.
We are currently at the peak period of shipments. The epidemic situation is serious and will also have an impact on trade. Please pay attention to all foreign trade and freight forwarders when shipping and apply for enough free boxes from the shipping company. , remind the consignee to pick up the goods as soon as possible to avoid numerous additional costs.
Remind me again: Dear friends who are engaged in textile foreign trade, this shortage of boxes and price increases are not expected to disappear in the short term. Friends who want to book space must make an early decision and arrange booking in advance. . Order now and cherish it! </p
