“Functional Textiles” learned: The latest data shows that so far, the cumulative number of confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia in the world has exceeded 2 million, and the number of deaths has exceeded 134,000. WHO: The epidemic has not reached its peak yet. According to incomplete statistics, at least 105 countries have entered a state of emergency or closed down the country or city. Foreign trade orders are cancelled, logistics and transportation are blocked, ports are closed, terminals are congested and backlogged, containers are stranded… Foreign trade freight forwarding companies are experiencing an unprecedented storm.
The global epidemic has not stopped at all. Many ports in Europe and other severely affected countries are now in chaos. Port operating hours have been reduced, no one is picking up goods at the destination port, and buyers have abandoned The phenomenon of goods appears frequently.
105 countries around the world have declared a state of emergency
Faced with the increasingly severe epidemic situation, countries have stepped up prevention and control efforts. More than 105 countries or regions around the world have successively declared a state of emergency, and some countries or regions have also adopted measures to “lock down the country” and “lock down the city”.
Today, the epidemic has affected more than 200 countries and regions around the world. These policies have also directly led to the interruption of production, logistics and transportation in many factories, and the global industrial chain has encountered huge challenges.
Severe backlog in European ports
On April 12, the British “Financial Times” website published an article titled “European Ports and According to the report, European ports and warehouses will face a backlog of finished goods in the coming weeks. Container ships departing from Asia before the new coronavirus pandemic arrived at their destinations only to find that demand no longer existed.
“No one wants the goods when they arrive in Europe, and that’s the problem. There will be a backlog of goods at the port for four to five weeks,” said Lars, CEO of the Danish “Marine Intelligence” consulting company ·Jensen said, “Importers will face a situation where warehouses are full and a large amount of goods need to be sent out, and they simply cannot sell it.”
Employees are sick or self-isolating, resulting in logistics companies being short-staffed , commodity buyers are unwilling or unable to take delivery of previously ordered goods due to concerns about cash flow difficulties caused by the economic slowdown.
Three-quarters of goods entering the EU travel by sea, and 30% of intra-EU trade is transported by ship. As a result, a shutdown at a marine terminal can quickly ripple throughout the sales network. Shipping companies such as France’s CMA CGM have proposed unloading cargo in advance at transfer stations, such as Piraeus in Greece and Algeciras in Spain on the way to Europe.
The European epidemic is showing signs of improvement. Are many countries easing restrictions and planning to unblock them?
After nearly a month of “city closures” and “football bans”, the spread of the epidemic in some European countries has slowed down. According to a report by British Sky TV on April 7, Austria, Denmark, Norway, The governments of the Czech Republic and other countries have announced this week that they plan to gradually lift the social blockade measures implemented due to the new crown pneumonia epidemic. Italy, Spain, Germany, France and other European countries where the epidemic is relatively serious are also planning how to “unblock”.
Many European countries have successively announced plans to gradually “unblock” .
India announced that it will extend the nationwide blockade until May 3, and major ports are severely blocked
India, the world’s second most populous country, is entering an “explosion period” of the epidemic. India has a large poor population and a relatively weak health and medical system. The epidemic trend in India is very “worrying”. As the epidemic in India further ferments, India Prime Minister Modi announced on Tuesday (April 14) that the nationwide lockdown will be extended by nearly three weeks to May 3.
India’s latest official data shows that in the past 24 hours, India has added There are 1,211 infections, and the total number of confirmed cases has risen to 10,363. Before the 21st, this number was 519. Although the United States is the real “epicenter” of the current epidemic, the WHO has long warned that the global fight against the epidemic will be difficult. The final direction will depend to a large extent on the situation in India.
Since India announced a lockdown on March 25, India’s major ports have basically been at a “shutdown” Status! According to foreign media reports, due to no one picking up the goods and truck drivers returning home, more than 50,000 containers are not cleared at container ports and freight stations such as Chennai, Kamajarar and Kattupalli in India. Major ports and freight stations are extremely congested!
Due to severe port congestion in major ports in India and the sharp decrease in cargo volume, many shipping companies including Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, COSCO Shipping, CMA CGM, etc. have also announced measures to As a radical measure, a port-hopping plan will be implemented. Foreign trade and freight forwarding partners who have recently exported to India please inform each other and be sure to pay attention!
Currently, in addition to India, France, Italy, and Ireland , Nigeria, Spain, South Africa, Hungary, Jordan, etc… Many countries around the world have extended blockade orders!
There is no one to pick up the goods at the destination port, and the risk of abandoned goods has surged
What should foreign trade freight forwarding companies do?
Currently, the COVID-19 epidemic has had a serious impact on international trade practices and the interests of Chinese import and export companies.
If foreign importers are unable to do so due to local government quarantine or other market reasons,Increasing the difficulty of customs clearance, canceling orders or refusing to accept goods will cause the goods to be detained, returned or destroyed at the destination port, which will inevitably affect the interests of Chinese export enterprises. At this time, what should Chinese export companies do?
Once a foreign importer abandons the goods or refuses to take delivery, it will not only cause the exporter to bear a large amount of freight , port demurrage fees, warehousing fees and other related charges will also lead to the return of export goods or significant depreciation. Therefore, when foreign importers have no one to pick up the goods or abandon the goods, how to deal with it and protect their own rights and interests to the maximum extent is also an issue for exporters. of key concerns.
</p