/ By TJ China Freight / Shipping

note! During the Spring Festival, the shipping company will cancel several Nordic voyages, and the time for collecting empty containers in China will be extended, and bulk cargo ships will load container cargo

Ships from Asia to Europe have recently undergone some new changes. Some shipping companies have cancelled multiple voyages, some have added new services, and more and more bulk cargo ships are carrying containerized cargo.

According to reports, HMM will put in an additional 5000 TEU cargo ship on the European route from Busan to Hamburg at the end of this month to meet the shipper’s cargo delivery requirements.

In addition, the shipping company China United Shipping (CU Lines) announced its first direct European route, maiden voyage on February 6, will provide independent services to the Nordic region and deploy a series of small feeder ships.

▍The 2M Alliance will cancel several Nordic voyages in the next week or two

The shipping company will cancel multiple flights to Northern Europe during the Spring Festival next month. This is a blow to the troubled cargo owners because they have paid a huge price to secure space in the voyage.

2M alliance partners Maersk and MSC plan to cancel three public voyages from Asia to Northern Europe in the 5th-7th week. One of the ships will be allowed to be postponed until next week, and the existing reservations will be kept. Ocean Alliance member CMA CGM will also skip three loops in the same period.

MSC said, “Due to the slowdown in demand during the Spring Festival and the severe congestion in the entire supply chain, it is necessary to take measures to cancel sailing.”

Maersk advises its customers that in order to cope with severe port congestion and container restrictions, it is necessary to use suspension to improve the reliability of shipping schedules, so as to release these services to restore planned shipping schedule measures.

Suspended voyages: Maersk Herrera on the AE55/Griffin loop scheduled to depart from Shanghai on February 11; Maersk Enshi (AE6/Lion) scheduled to leave Busan on February 13; and departure from Ningbo on February 15 Estelle Maersk (AE7 / Condor).

 

note! During the Spring Festival, the shipping company will cancel several Nordic voyages, and the time for collecting empty containers in China will be extended, and bulk cargo ships will load container cargo

 

 

A shipping company source said that he believes that 2M is more about slowing down the overheated supply chain and alleviating the pressure of congestion in the Nordic containers and ports.

"I can only represent our ships. During the Spring Festival, they are all fully booked." The source said, "In addition, too much cargo has been dumped recently. This cannot be a problem of reduced demand, so I guess , They want to restore a certain timetable by cutting voyages."

Indeed, Simon Sundboell, the founder of the liner database eeSea, said that the reliability of this route is worse than what we have seen in a long time.

He added: "These suspensions are necessary and restoration measures need to be arranged. They are not meant to consume capacity."

At the same time, according to the latest investigation by Container xChange, the serious container shortage crisis is alleviating. Although the container availability index (CAx) in December hit a record low, Shanghai has improved significantly this month.

"In January, the availability of 40-foot-high cubic containers increased by 37.5%, while the standard 40-foot-cubic container even increased to 200%. CAx showed a positive trend for shippers and freight forwarders looking for containers in Shanghai. With the increase in container availability Significant increase and Shanghai is returning to normal levels.” said David Amezquita, head of data insights, adding that similar situations have occurred in other major hubs in China.

▍The empty container release time will be extended from 7 days to 10 days

It is reported that Hapag-Lloyd will take temporary measures in order to optimize the supply of containers and meet customer needs during the upcoming Spring Festival. From now on, the empty container release window in Mainland China will be extended from the current 7 days to 10 days.

The empty container pick-up time at all Chinese ports has been adjusted from 7 days before the estimated sailing date to 10 days, which will take effect from now until January 31, 2021.

From February 1, 2021, it will be further extended to 14 days before the estimated sailing schedule until further notice.

The specific box types at the following special locations will be kept for 10 days and are subject to change without notice.

Shenzhen: 20' Dry

Ningbo: 40' Dry, 40'HC

Shanghai: 40' Dry, 40'HC

 

note! During the Spring Festival, the shipping company will cancel several Nordic voyages, and the time for collecting empty containers in China will be extended, and bulk cargo ships will load container cargo

 

 

▍More and more containerized goods are cancelled and switched to other types of ships

Chartering expert Ahlers said that the rebound in bulk cargo transportation will bring benefits to secondary ports and short sea shipping. The company said: "New opportunities for bulk carriers, multi-purpose ships and ro-ro ships are emerging."

According to reports, last week, freight forwarders increasingly wanted to use multi-purpose ships to avoid a series of delays and cost issues, which disrupted Asia-Europe container trade-in some cases, they gave up boxes, and I chose bulk groceries.

 

note! During the Spring Festival, the shipping company will cancel several Nordic voyages, and the time for collecting empty containers in China will be extended, and bulk cargo ships will load container cargo
The "crazy" of container trade drives more Asian goods to other modes of transportation

In addition, the de-containerization trend seems to be gaining momentum on intra-Asia routes. On some routes, bulk commodity shippers accustomed to the lowest freight rates suddenly face bills much higher than in previous years.

Ahlers said that in Southeast Asia, cargo that has been shipped in containers for decades is now being transferred to bulk carriers.

Chartering business manager Senthil Nayagam said: “Due to the shortage of containers and high freight rates, goods such as sawn wood and plywood are turning to bulk general cargo ships.”

He said, for example, the cost of exporting plywood from Malaysia to Colombo has increased from US$400/TEU to US$1,025. “Therefore traders hope to transport them in bulk in the next three to four months until the situation improves. "

Another example is the shipment of goods from China to Russia. Mr. Nayagam said that Ahlers' original plan to reach St. Petersburg or use maritime rail services had to be cancelled and switched to other ports and offshore services.

He added: “Freight forwarders are forced to find unconventional options, such as transporting goods to a triple container terminal, and then looking for different short-sea solutions, trying to use smaller coastal bulk cargo vessels to transport the goods to the final destination. Land."

For many industries, transportation costs are not the only consideration in determining mode switching.

Mr. Nayagam said: “Inventory costs, potential fines related to late delivery, and factories' urgent need for raw materials to keep them running are all factors. For example, summer fashion needs to be listed in stores in time.”

"We believe that the container market situation will return to normal again, but it is not yet certain when it will return to normal. At the same time, we will continue to see more and more'traditional container' cargo shifted to other modes of transportation, including bulk cargo."

/ By TJ China Freight / Shipping

What is “LCL” and “Loss Freight”?

In international trade, companies often fail to ship goods due to various reasons, so they have to bear the corresponding LCL costs. The most important thing is that many shippers are not very aware of these costs, so they are hard to guard against. Today, the editor and everyone will learn about some relevant knowledge about the loss of shipping LCL during cargo transportation.

What is "LCL" and "Loss Freight"?

What is LCL?

CL CARGO= LESS CONTAINER LOAD, LCL cargo refers specifically to small-ticket cargo that is less than a full container (20'/40/45). Usually, the bulk cargo consolidator (consolidator) collects the cargo separately and collects it at the container freight station or inland site, and then consolidates the cargo with two or more votes into one container, also at the destination container freight station Or the inland station unpacks and delivers separately.

For this kind of goods, the carrier has to bear the packing and unpacking operations, and the packing and unpacking fees are still charged to the cargo party. The carrier’s responsibility for LCL cargo is basically the same as that of traditional grocery transportation.

What is the LCL shipping fee?

In the process of LCL export by sea, after 11:00 noon on the working day before the order cut-off date, the cargo cannot be shipped in time due to the reason of the booking person, resulting in the vacant space of the LCL company, and the LCL company will order The fee charged by the cabin crew to make up for the loss.

How to calculate the loss fee?

The calculation of the loss fee is based on the cost of the vacant space. The specific calculation formula is the loss fee = booking billing cubic x (full container shipping fee + full container shipping port fee)/standard cubic number.

Note: Standard cubic number: 25/20' 50/40' 60/40'HQ

Common reasons and preventive measures for loss of cabin charges:

(1) The owner of the cargo is too late to enter the warehouse or the person who temporarily cancels the shipment and the booking person fails to cancel the booking timely. Precautions: Please keep the freight forwarder regularly in communication with the owner before the customs cut-off date, and provide timely feedback. And inform the owner that he has the responsibility to notify, otherwise it will incur damages.

(2) A larger proportion of super square/reduced square/overweight. Precaution: Please ask the freight forwarder to ask the owner of the consignment to be consistent with the actual cargo as much as possible, and notify in time if there is any change.

(3) After the goods have entered the warehouse, it is found that the characteristics or specifications of the goods cannot be carried, such as "liquid/dangerous goods/oversized and overweight items". Precautions: Please inform the freight forwarder that liquid/dangerous goods/semi-dangerous goods will not be accepted. Oversized and heavy items must be confirmed in advance.　　

(4) The customs inspection resulted in the inability to ship in time. Precaution: Please ask the freight forwarder to require the owner of the declaration to be consistent with the bill, the documents, and the goods. If the customs has any questions, please cooperate with the customs broker of the forwarding company to reply to the customs in a timely and clear manner. What are the requirements of the customs to cooperate as much as possible to ensure timely shipment of goods.　

In short, the most important thing for the prevention of LCL loss costs is to maintain close and good communication between the owner and the freight forwarder. At the same time, the freight forwarder is dedicated to solving the problem for the shipper in time, and the shipper must also trust the forwarder and meet frankly.

/ By TJ China Freight / Shipping

Container shortage or turning point

Container xChange said that the shortage of container equipment that has lasted for several months is expected to end because the container availability index (CAx) is undergoing positive changes.

Container shortage or turning point

According to Container xChange analysis, the Chinese New Year may become a turning point , with the 20-foot and 40-foot dry cargo index increasing to 0.34 and 0.37 respectively, indicating that the availability of empty containers is much higher than last month. CAx data comes from millions of containers tracked by Container xChange. Container xChange CEO Johannes Schlingmeier said: “An index of 0.5 indicates market balance, and a value below 0.5 indicates a shortage of containers.” Container xChange pointed out that although the latest data in January was well below 0.5, indicating that there is still a shortage of container equipment, but 20 feet and The 40-foot container data has begun to approach the normal container shortage level in China's main export markets.

David Amezquita, the company's director of data, said:

Compared with December 2020, the availability of 20-foot containers in January 2021 has increased by 37.5%, and the availability of 40-foot containers has increased by 200%, which is a positive trend.

Data from xChange shows that in the past few months, there has been an extreme shortage of containers across China. In Shanghai, which has always been in short supply, the index reached a record low in December 2020, of which the 40-foot container availability index was only 0.13. The company said that as China's container manufacturing plants are running at full capacity to expand production capacity, coupled with the shipping company's efforts to transport empty containers back to China, the Chinese New Year may become an important turning point.

With the substantial increase in container supply, Shanghai Port's container availability index is returning to normal levels. Other ports in China are also undergoing positive changes. Taking Qingdao Port as an example, the availability index of a 20-foot container even reached 0.5. The container availability index of other major Asian hub ports such as Singapore Port, Navassiwa Port and Port Klang also showed the same trend. Compared with December 2020, the availability index of standard containers at the Port of Singapore in January 2021 has increased by 58%, Port Nawahiwa has increased by 35%, and Port Klang has increased by 54%.

There are signs that the container availability index will remain stable in the coming weeks. Until mid-February, the availability of 20-foot boxes will stabilize at around 0.35, and the availability of 40-foot boxes will stabilize at around 0.38.

/ By TJ China Freight / Shipping

The imbalance between supply and demand of air cargo continues, and the shortage of freighter capacity causes price increases and delays

The air cargo market has ushered in a new year, but there is no sign of cooling. International transportation activities usually weaken after the holiday season, but due to the unusual air transportation mode and the severe shortage of air transportation caused by the new coronavirus pandemic, demand and freight rates remain high.

The logistics company expects that the air cargo volume will not decline before the Spring Festival, because the manufacturer plans to continue operations during the traditional holidays.

The imbalance between supply and demand of air cargo continues, and the shortage of freighter capacity causes price increases and delays

The latest comprehensive statistics of World ACD and CLIVE Data Services in December show that compared with 2019, air cargo volume has fallen by only 3.7% to 5% respectively. These data show that the air cargo industry has recovered a lot since it bottomed out in May last year, when demand dropped by nearly 40%.

The demand for air transportation is largely driven by continuous inventory replenishment, the inventory-to-sales ratio of consumer goods is close to the lowest level in history, and a saturated marine container market. Analysts and logistics providers said that the congestion of ports and railways and the shortage of empty containers continue to push up shipping prices and cause serious delays, especially for main routes from Asia, which promotes a further increase in aviation demand.

The goods sought for air transportation include automotive equipment, consumer goods purchased online, and medical supplies related to COVID-19. Airplanes are also used to transport the new crown vaccine, because a large number of vaccines are transported by land, and sometimes only a few containers are needed for each flight, so it is not clear how many ordinary goods they replace. Nevertheless, when the capacity is tight, the vaccine will be given priority to board the plane.

The imbalance between supply and demand of air cargo continues, and the shortage of freighter capacity causes price increases and delays

San Francisco-based freight forwarding company Flexport said in a customer advisory update report that the remaining demand for game consoles and smartphone product releases in the fourth quarter will increase capacity constraints by mid-February.

Bruce Chan, vice president of global logistics at investment bank Stifel, said in a monthly comment that shippers are also more inclined to use air operations as an inventory buffer because their forecasting models have been completely overturned by the epidemic. He wrote: “Predicting consumption patterns and when they will stabilize is a huge fear, and the path forward is hardly linear, especially when the new coronavirus reignites and the government further implements blockades and border closures.”

In addition, many Chinese manufacturers announced that they will continue production during the Lunar New Year period from February 12 to 26. Factories are usually closed for 10 days or longer so that workers can celebrate with their families, but because the Chinese government encourages workers to celebrate the New Year on the spot, many factories will continue to operate this year. Flexport said this could create a backlog, as many freighter flights were cancelled a few weeks ago due to the expected full transport. Any backlog will depend on whether the factory continues to produce or take vacations at home.

The demand for air freight is so strong that experts predict that by the end of March the market will return to the level before the epidemic. This trend is in sharp contrast to the passenger traffic of the aviation industry, which is expected to remain sluggish until vaccination becomes more common in the second half of the year. Even then, the recovery of international travel may be slower, which means fewer aircraft for long-distance trade. Aviation industry officials said they don’t expect a full recovery until 2024.

Globally, freight rates are more than twice what they were a year ago, and freight rates from China to Europe and the United States are 2.5 times what they were a year ago. According to data from digital sales platforms, market information services and freight forwarders, the aircraft on these routes are full.

According to World ACD data, the average freight rate soared by 80% in December last year, from US$1.80 per kilogram to US$3.27 per kilogram, the highest year-on-year increase since May last year, but it fell by 10% since January this year.

Freight rates are under tremendous pressure, because although more all-cargo operators have added freighters and flights, global capacity is still about 20% lower than 2019 levels. The main culprit is the insufficient supply of wide-body passenger aircraft on international routes, most of which are still grounded due to the poor travel market. In fact, with the strict implementation of travel restrictions, airlines will reduce flights in the first quarter. For example, Air Canada and WestJet suspended 25% and 30% of their system capacity in the first quarter.

The imbalance between supply and demand of air cargo continues, and the shortage of freighter capacity causes price increases and delays

According to data from the International Civil Aviation Organization, the global all-cargo fleet increased by 22.4% to 673 aircraft in 2020. Airlines continue to increase capacity, including improved aircraft from passenger airlines, but this is not enough, because the space shortage is three to four times the decline in demand, and the gap may be even greater in the short term.

In the past month, Qatar Airways has added three Boeing 777 freighters to its fleet, and China Airlines and AirBridgeCargo have each added a factory-built aircraft. Swiss International Air Lines has added Seoul, South Korea and Lima, Peru to its cargo network. The flight from Zurich will be operated by a 777-300 extended-range passenger aircraft dedicated to cargo. The flight from Zurich will be operated by a 777-300 extended-range passenger aircraft dedicated to cargo.

In the past year, many freight forwarders have greatly increased the use of dedicated charter flights to ensure that they can provide transport capacity to their customers. German logistics giant DB Schenker significantly expanded its private aviation network last week. Now it has two routes, connecting Europe, Asia and North America for the first time. The cargo management company controls a total of 43 Boeing 747 or 777 freighter flights every week-equivalent to the space of a 135 wide-body airliner. Munich Airport is the hub for DB Schenker's intercontinental cargo between the United States and Asia. 

/ By TJ China Freight / Shipping

What is FMC? How to limit the weight of inland cargo in the United States? How to apply for reissuance of anti-terrorism manifest? American Line Knowledge Popularization

What is FMC?

 

 

FMC, the full name Federal Maritime Commission, is the United States Federal Maritime Commission, the official organization that controls all international maritime affairs within and between the United States.

 

 

What is CBP?

 

 

CBP, the full name of US Customs and Border Protection, is responsible for collecting tariffs and enforcing US trade, customs and immigration laws. It belongs to the federal law enforcement agency of the US Department of Homeland Security.

 

 

What's the difference between Demurrage and Detention, often stupidly unclear?

 

 

Demurrage refers to the overdue fee for stockpiling, which is the overdue fee charged for the containers that are stranded in the docks and yards and exceed the free stocking period.

 

 

Detention refers to the overdue demurrage fee. In the United States, it is also called Per Diem. If the container has been picked up but cannot be returned within the free container period specified by the shipping company, the shipowner will charge the corresponding demurrage fee.

 

 

What if my inland cargo needs to be cleared at the US port of discharge in advance?

 

 

For cargo in the US inland, customers can choose to clear customs at the US unloading port and complete customs clearance procedures in advance. Customers can apply to our company after the ship is opened, and clear customs at the port of unloading after being confirmed by the agent at the port of destination.

 

 

How to limit the weight of inland cargo in the United States?

 

 

Both roads and railways in the United States have strict cargo weight restrictions, and high overweight surcharges are charged for overweight cargo. Because in the actual transportation process in the United States, there are usually road and rail combined transportation, so the weight limit requirements are based on the road weight limit.

 

 

How do I apply for reissuance of the anti-terrorism manifest?
The counter-terrorism space supplementary report refers to the single ticket supplement after the anti-terrorism manifest is declared for the entire ship and the receipt of the entire ship’s acceptance is received. We will meet the customer’s application for reissuance of counter-terrorism space based on the shipping schedule, and require that we receive the approval receipt 24 hours before the ship docks.

 

 

What if my anti-terrorism declaration is rejected?
After the anti-terrorism declaration, such as product name problems, over-declaration or failure of the HOUSE bill, etc., the US Customs will not allow shipment instructions. After the customer re-provides accurate information, it can be re-released and shipped after being approved by the US Customs.
/ By TJ China Freight / Shipping

“Death congestion” appeared in ports in the United States, Britain, Australia, Malaysia and other countries!

The latest data from the World Health Organization show that as of 2:08 on the 16th, Beijing time, there were 91816091 confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia worldwide, and a total of 1986,871 deaths. According to real-time statistics from Johns Hopkins University in the United States, as of 12:13 on the 16th Beijing time, there were 93,816,953 confirmed cases worldwide, with more than 2 million deaths, and a total of 2008,237 cases.

Now entering the second year of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, considering the dynamics of the spread of the virus, the epidemic situation may be more severe than the first year. Michael Ryan also pointed out that the northern hemisphere is particularly serious in Europe and North America, and a series of factors have increased the spread of the virus in many countries. At present, there are death congestion and slow operations in ports around the world, logistics and supply chains have been severely affected, and cargo transportation is bound to usher in unprecedented "large-scale delays."

The situation at the ports of the West Coast of the United States, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Australia, Nigeria and other countries is even more severe and it is not optimistic.

United States

Affected by the epidemic, the American people's demand for Chinese goods has soared. They are snapping up Chinese-made furniture, electrical appliances and bicycles. The containers carrying Chinese imported goods are stacked six stories high like Lego bricks. Truck drivers crowded in the parking lot and had to wait for hours to pick up the goods.

The Port of Los Angeles, the largest port in the United States, is continuing to bear the pressure of a large number of containers entering the port. At the same time, the port is heavily congested and a large number of ships are waiting to berth. The surge in container imports has also caused congestion in the port, making it more difficult for trucks and trucks to quickly move goods out of the port.

 

"Death congestion" appeared in ports in the United States, Britain, Australia, Malaysia and other countries!

 

 

The congestion situation in US ports has not been significantly eased. According to a report from the Southern California Ocean Exchange, there are at least 47 ships waiting to enter the port at the anchorages outside the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Among them, 34 are container ships with a total capacity of more than 270,000 TEU. The largest ship is 16,022 TEU. In addition, as the epidemic continues to spread in the United States, the number of confirmed cases in the United States has been increasing, and a large number of logistics industry practitioners are also unable to continue working due to the diagnosis of new crown pneumonia. Many logistics parks in the United States are facing serious manpower shortages.

 

"Death congestion" appeared in ports in the United States, Britain, Australia, Malaysia and other countries!

 

 

The Inland Empire logistics zone, located about 100 kilometers east of the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach, has become an important extension and logistics hub of the above two ports. However, due to the high proportion of employees in warehouses and distribution centers diagnosed with new coronary pneumonia, the supply chain of the logistics park is extremely fragile.

It is worth noting that with the US President-elect Biden will be formally sworn in on January 20, 2021, the United States may implement a trillion-dollar economic stimulus plan. Biden once said: "In order to prevent economic collapse, we should now invest a lot of money to develop the economy, which is very necessary."

United Kingdom

Felixstowe, the largest port in the UK, usually handles 40% of all container traffic in the UK, and now the average ship stays in the port for more than 32 hours. This series of conditions forces shippers to transfer cargo to other ports. Since the end of last year, Maersk and MSC have replaced the port of Felixstowe with the port of Liverpool on their TA2/NEUATL2 loop route across the Atlantic.

 

"Death congestion" appeared in ports in the United States, Britain, Australia, Malaysia and other countries!

 

 

Trucks waiting in line to enter the Port of Dover, Kent, are undergoing document checks

This measure introduced as a result of Brexit resulted in hundreds of British truck drivers being fined for crossing Kent without permission. Since January 1, the UK is no longer bound by EU rules. Since the new rules came into effect, the British police have issued 407 fines. Trucks travelling from all over the UK to France must obtain a Kent Pass before entering Kent, so that they can obtain the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel right of passage.

The additional permit checks caused controversy and traffic jams at the border. Kent County Police Department Assistant Sergeant Claire Nix said: “Although most HGV drivers who travel to Europe via the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel enter the county with a valid Kent County Pass, there are still too many people who have to stop. Accept the fine and return to the place of departure. "If this trend continues, it may cause traffic disruption in Kent, which is expected to increase significantly in the coming weeks.

Australia

Recently, Australia's container supply chain has been in constant chaos, and this problem may not be effectively resolved in a short period of time.

 

"Death congestion" appeared in ports in the United States, Britain, Australia, Malaysia and other countries!

 

 

Due to previous strikes, the ship’s schedule was disrupted, resulting in a backlog of cargo for "8 to 10 weeks". However, the union denied that the strike was mainly due to the reason. The union claimed that the surge in transportation demand was the main reason.

In the process of New South Wales port's efforts to solve the road congestion in Botany Port, Sydney container trucks bear the brunt. Although the trucking industry issued a warning, it then called on the authorities and the container chain to take action to improve the chaos.

Ports of New South Wales pointed out that in the past few months, the empty container terminal (ECP) in Sydney has faced high demand from carriers and customers for empty container unloading. This high demand sometimes leads to long lines of trucks outside the exit control station and on the road to the port.

Ports of New South Wales pointed out that truck queues appear on Simblist and Friendship highways almost every day. Sometimes these trucks queue up not only to cause serious congestion, but also to potential safety issues that must be resolved. Although the management of the truck queue is the responsibility of the ECP operator, the Port of New South Wales has decided to take action to solve this problem by introducing additional temporary dedicated truck queue areas in a safe place.

Malaysia

There was serious congestion around the busiest Klang West Hong Kong dollar. As the congestion intensified, many wholesalers and retailers said that the container congestion in the West Port of Port Klang caused delivery delays for more than one month, which increased unnecessary costs.

 

"Death congestion" appeared in ports in the United States, Britain, Australia, Malaysia and other countries!

 

 

The chairman of the Port Klang Authority, Datuk Zhang Shengwen, recently disclosed that after the container congestion problem occurred in the port of Klang, the bureau set up a working team headed by the Ministry of Transport. In the past month, the working team has implemented a number of countermeasures. The problem has been significantly improved. The waiting time for cargo ships to dock for loading and unloading has been drastically reduced from an average of 5 days last month to 24 hours. After taking timely response measures, the container congestion in Port Klang has been effectively improved and relieved. All refrigerated containers that have been stopped have been quarantined and cleared within one day.

Zhang Shengwen revealed that some shipping companies have also specially arranged additional cargo ships for this purpose, and the Port Authority has arranged for these cargo ships to dock first to speed up the time for loading and unloading cargo. In addition, transport agents and importers are also committed to taking away imported containers in advance to avoid storing them in the port area.

"Although the congestion problem in Port Klang is mainly caused by external factors, the Port Authority and the logistics industry will still take all responsibilities and strive to reduce the inconvenience of port users, especially during the coming February Lunar New Year." He said, appropriate During the Lunar New Year period, the volume of cargo will also be at a "peak" period. All parties will continue to maintain close cooperation to face problems together and respond appropriately to ensure timely and effective services for freight forwarders and shipping companies.

India

Due to the gradual weakening of the hurricane, the port of Katupali has resumed normal export shipments. The port is deploying all necessary resources to reduce berthing delays and quickly transshipment.

Nigeria

In Nigeria’s busiest ports, TinCan Port and Apapa Port in Lagos, due to port cargo congestion, no less than 43 ships loaded with various cargoes are currently trapped in the waters of Lagos. Due to the limited space in the port, many ships cannot enter and unload, and can only stay at sea.

The congestion in the port of Lagos is so serious that the cost of these trucks to transport a container 20 kilometers inland in Nigeria may exceed $4,000, which is almost equivalent to the cost of transporting 12,000 nautical miles from China. (Congestion caused importers to abandon the goods! 4000 overdue container cargoes will be auctioned!)

 

"Death congestion" appeared in ports in the United States, Britain, Australia, Malaysia and other countries!

 

 

The ports of Apapa and Tinkan, which are the main entrances to Africa's largest economies, the economic recession triggered by the epidemic and the recent turmoil in the commercial capital of Nigeria have exacerbated the port’s long-term crisis. Dozens of container ships are stranded at sea due to congestion, and hundreds of trucks stay on the road for days or weeks, waiting to enter and exit the port.

At present, the port is extremely congested and the increase in ocean freight prices has stimulated the nerves of aviation traders. The goods exported by some manufacturers to the United States, due to unloaded unloading and delayed customs clearance, could not be delivered to the buyer’s warehouse on time, so they could only throw away the goods and abandon the goods, resulting in heavy losses. In the near future, pay attention to the development of major ports in time, so as to avoid problems and stop losses in time.

/ By TJ China Freight / Shipping

Do you know all these 10 documents in the process of container transportation?

In addition to the three main orders of "equipment handover form", "station receipt" and "handover record", container transportation usually includes the following 10 types of documents.

(1) Booking form

The booking list is prepared by the shipping company or other carrier when accepting the shipper's (or shipper's) booking, according to the shipper’s verbal or written application, recording the cargo consignment, and used to arrange container cargo transportation. The main contents of the documents and booking list include: cargo name, number of packages, packaging style, mark, weight, size, port of destination, settlement period, transshipment period, whether it can be transported in batches, transshipment, etc.

(2) Booking list

The booking list is a list of the delivery and loading places of different goods drawn by the shipping company or its agent according to the contents of the booking form.

(3) Packing list

The packing list is the only document that details the name, quantity and stowage of the goods in each container. When the container is used as a unit for transportation, the container packing list is an extremely important document. It is the basis for cargo declaration, handover, etc. The weight of the cargo and the container recorded on the document is used to calculate the ship’s draught difference and stability. Basic data of sex. When cargo damage or cargo difference occurs, it is also one of the original basis for handling accident claims.

(4) Annotation list

When the container terminal yard or container freight station receives goods, if the goods are found to be abnormal, the content and extent of the abnormality should be recorded in the remarks column of the station receipt, and then a document is compiled based on these contents. This document is called the endorsement list.

(5) Shipping order

The bill of lading is a document signed and sealed by the carrier or its agent. It is not only a certificate for consignment of the goods, but also a certificate for notifying the ship to accept the shipment of the carried goods.

(6) Loading list

The loading list is the cargo consigned by the carrier or its agent according to this voyage. The goods of similar nature are classified according to the order of arrival at the port, and then a summary list of loading orders is made.

(7) Bill of lading

The bill of lading is a certificate issued to the shipper or shipper by the container transport operator or its agent after receiving or taking over the goods, proving that the transported goods have been received or loaded on the ship, and are to be transported by sea. The port delivers the goods to the legitimate bill of lading holder. It is also a kind of transportation contract between the transportation company and the owner, which reflects the right of the recorded direction of the goods. It is usually circulated by endorsement, which is a pledge. The main ancillary documents of the remittance bill are divided into the bill of lading and the bill of lading for receipt.

(8) Empty container handover order

The empty container handover form is a document filled out when the shipper uses the shipping company's container, and the shipping company instructs the container custodian to deliver the empty container to the holder of this document.

(9) Guarantee

In the process of container transportation, the carrier’s responsibility is calculated from the time of receiving the goods. Therefore, the goods and container damages that have occurred before the goods are received are recorded in detail on the station receipt, and this record is transferred to the bill of lading. In fact constitutes an unclean bill of lading.

(10) Cargo Consignment Form

A container cargo consignment note is a written certificate issued by the shipper (consignor or freight forwarder) to the carrier or its agent in accordance with the relevant clauses in the first contract and the letter of credit.

/ By TJ China Freight / Shipping

Tianjin Port fully implements electronic container import bill of lading

On January 11, it was learned from the Tianjin Municipal Transportation Commission that in order to thoroughly implement the spirit of the important instructions of General Secretary Jinping’s inspection of Tianjin Port, and firmly promote the construction of a world-class port, the Tianjin Port and Shipping Bureau will lead the organization and the Tianjin Municipal Bureau of Commerce will jointly participate. The "Electronic Platform for Container Import Bill of Lading" developed and constructed by Tianjin Port Group was officially launched in early January 2021 . So far, the three major paper documents (equipment handover list, packing list, bill of lading) for the circulation of container cargo have all been electronic.

Tianjin Port fully implements electronic container import bill of lading

 

The full implementation of the electronic bill of lading can not only provide comprehensive and multi-angle protection for data flow, but also the whole-process paperless business handling model such as online business authorization, online luggage appointment, check code paperless luggage, etc., which greatly improves the related Optimization effect of business links. On the one hand, the paper document handover link between the freight forwarder and the fleet, the fleet and the driver, and the driver and the dock is eliminated, business links are greatly reduced, and the efficiency of order processing is increased by 75%; on the other hand, the online application of electronic bill of lading solves the problem The problem of "multiple errands" that has plagued customers in the carrying business link for a long time, so that they no longer need to frequently travel between the business acceptance windows of shipping companies, shipping agents, terminals, and yards, saving related companies a lot of time and labor costs , Allowing relevant enterprises to fully appreciate the informatization work tenet of "more data runs, less people run errands".

It is understood that in 2019, Tianjin Port and Shipping Bureau promoted the establishment of a "one-code connection" logistics information data platform for import and export international containers. Tianjin Port relied on this platform to realize the information exchange of various service entities in the import and export link, and completed the container logistics chain. The information flow of links, paper handover documents have been realized paperless. However, the bill of lading, as an important document for the consignee and its agent to pick up the goods, is related to the transfer and handover of the right to pick up the goods. It has a certain effect of the property right certificate. Once an error occurs, it will bring greater risks and there are many circulation links. , The delay in achieving electronicization has become a bottleneck restricting the facilitation of cross-border trade and the improvement of port logistics efficiency.

 

In order to get through the last “mile” that affects the paperless process of port documents, in January 2020, Tianjin Port and Shipping Bureau, Tianjin Municipal Bureau of Commerce and Tianjin Port Group officially launched the construction of the electronic container import bill of lading project.

In the past year, Tianjin Port and Shipping Bureau, together with Tianjin Port Group and other relevant departments and units, conducted 12 special seminars on business process reengineering, information system construction, and security risk prevention and control related to the electronic bill of lading, and went to Shanghai and other domestic first-class seminars. Port study and research.

The promotion of the overall work has overcome the continuing adverse effects of the epidemic. In just 10 months, the development and construction of a complete set of information platform from concept design, application research, framework development, joint debugging and testing to formal operation was completed. It ranks among the top coastal ports in the country. During this period, under the unified organization and coordination of Tianjin Port and Shipping Bureau, relevant departments and units actively participated, accurately grasped the direction of platform construction and development, fully prepared platform operation preparations, and completed the first actual ship test on November 17, 2020 . Based on full access to test data and feedback from related shipping companies (shipping agents), freight forwarders, and port companies, the platform will be launched for trial operation on December 1, 2020, to further smooth the loading, unloading and transportation links of Tianjin Port and shore, and continue to improve the business chain The overall level of digitalization provides strong support to effectively enhance the port’s comprehensive service capabilities, continuously optimize the port’s business environment, and give full play to the important role of Tianjin Port in serving the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and the “Belt and Road” strategy to provide a strong digital guarantee !

/ By TJ China Freight / Shipping

The U.S. containerized cargo imports hit a record and will usher in the busiest January in history. Will Biden take office to further stimulate demand?

The new crown pneumonia epidemic has stimulated freight demand to a certain extent. In 2020, the import volume of containerized cargo in the United States will set a new historical record, and high import demand will continue until early 2021.

Jonathan Gold, vice president of supply chain and customs policy at the National Retail Federation (NRF), said: "Even in the context of the pandemic, the US retail sales will continue to grow strongly in 2020, thanks in part to the government. Stimulus policies. Retailers expect that the economic recovery will continue in 2021."

The U.S. containerized cargo imports hit a record and will usher in the busiest January in history. Will Biden take office to further stimulate demand?

According to the latest monthly global port tracking report released by NFR and Hackett Associates, preliminary statistics show that in December 2020, the import volume of container cargo in major US ports was 2.02 million TEU.

NRF stated that if the final figures for December 2020 remain unchanged, the U.S. containerized cargo imports in 2020 will reach 21.9 million TEU, an increase of 1.5% over 2019, and break the 2018 annual record of 21.8 million TEU.

In addition, the agency also predicts that in January 2021, this number will reach 1.96 million TEU, an increase of 7.7% year-on-year, the busiest January in history.

Looking ahead, until May 2021, the import volume of containerized goods in the United States will continue to increase substantially.

Specifically: February is expected to reach 1.6 million TEU, a year-on-year increase of 6.1%; March is 1.64 million TEU, a year-on-year increase of 19%; April is 1.76 million TEU, a year-on-year increase of 9.6%, and May is 1.86 million TEU, a year-on-year increase of up to 21.7%.

The U.S. containerized cargo imports hit a record and will usher in the busiest January in history. Will Biden take office to further stimulate demand?

However, what worries retailers is that there is still a risk of supply chain disruption in the United States.

On the one hand, the congestion in US ports has not been significantly eased. The data shows that as of January 10, 2021, there are at least 47 ships waiting to enter the port at the anchorages outside the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Among them, 34 are container ships with a total capacity of more than 270,000 TEU. The largest ship is 16022TEU.

On the other hand, as the epidemic continues to spread in the United States, the number of confirmed cases in the United States has been increasing, and a large number of logistics industry practitioners are also unable to continue working due to the diagnosis of new crown pneumonia. Many logistics parks in the United States are facing serious manpower shortages.

The Inland Empire logistics zone, located about 100 kilometers east of the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach, has become an important extension and logistics hub of the above two ports. However, due to the high proportion of employees in warehouses and distribution centers diagnosed with new coronary pneumonia, the supply chain of the logistics park is extremely fragile.

The U.S. containerized cargo imports hit a record and will usher in the busiest January in history. Will Biden take office to further stimulate demand?

It is also worth noting that with the US President-elect Biden will be formally sworn in on January 20, 2021, the United States may implement a trillion-dollar economic stimulus plan.

Biden once said: "In order to prevent economic collapse, we should now invest a lot of money to develop the economy, which is very necessary."

US investment bank Evercore ISI analyzed that it is expected that there will be two rounds of stimulus policies in the future. First, in the first quarter of 2021, launch a package of US$1 trillion-1.5 trillion to stimulate consumption; second, in the second quarter of 2021, launch a long-term infrastructure package of approximately US$1 trillion.

These will lay the foundation for the US consumption boom in 2021.

It is foreseeable that the US economic stimulus policy will bring more cargo volume, which is expected to directly benefit the container shipping market

/ By TJ China Freight / Shipping

The container freight rate from North Asia to the UK hits a record high

On January 4, the freight rate from North Asia to the United Kingdom hit a record high. The reason was that demand continued to rise and the continued shortage of equipment plagued the market. Carriers had no choice but to increase freight rates to maintain profit margins.

 

The Platts Class 11 container rate from North Asia to the UK reached USD 10,000/FEU, an increase of 285% from November 30. These strong rates are expected to continue until the end of the quarter.

 

"This is the result of a combination of surge in demand and endless congestion. It will continue until February of the Chinese New Year." said a British freight forwarder.

 

Market participants are eager to avoid repeating the mistakes of the 2020 Lunar New Year holiday, because the 2020 coronavirus-related lockdown has caused a very slow recovery in China’s export demand, and for most of the past year, the container market has faced a huge Challenges.

 

Demand during the Chinese holiday period has recovered, which has inspired people to quickly resume work to deal with the backlog of orders, but although the situation is improving, there are some opinions in the market that worry that these optimism may be short-lived.

 

Nonetheless, the freight forwarder said that containers booked at lower prices have not yet been loaded onto the ship.

 

"I just cancelled 60 containers; they are destined to go to Europe." said a freight forwarder.

 

 

The container freight rate from North Asia to the UK hits a record high

 

 

By the end of 2020, the increase in freight rates in the UK is greater than that in Northern Europe, because companies seek to stock up on goods before the UK leaves the EU Customs Union without reaching an agreement.

 

Uncertainty in future trade relations and concerns about border delays due to customs inspections have led to increased demand for goods. Coupled with the change in consumer spending habits, shifting from services to consumer goods, seasonal demand before Christmas, and replenishment of enterprises after the closure of the country due to national blockades, it is difficult for ports to cope with the increase in quantity. This sentiment has continued into a new year full of congestion, and these situations are still the concerns of many operators.

 

Felixstowe is the largest container port in the UK. The first problem facing the port is the increase in traffic and subsequent delays. With the increase in demand, the storage capacity of the port has been reduced in recent months because the government has stored PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) in the port. However, according to a statement issued by the Port of Felixstowe on December 13, the volume of PPE containers "has been greatly reduced since reaching the peak."

 

Flight delays in Felixstowe caused some carriers to modify their schedules outside the port. Maersk and MSC now come to Liverpool through their transatlantic services TA2 and NEUATL2 respectively. Those carriers still calling at Felixstowe have been charged a congestion charge; Hapag-Lloyd currently charges $175/TEU for all cargo passing through the port from Asia.

 

A freight forwarder said that this may just be the beginning of the British disaster. They said: "Large carriers may no longer provide services to the UK, but only feeder vessels can provide services to British ports."

 

Carriers need to relocate empty containers, which also results in some containers no longer accepting export bookings for containers loaded from Europe in the foreseeable future, which puts pressure on exporters in the UK and Europe.

 

On January 4, PCR2—from the North Continent to North Asia—increased from US$1,250/FEU a month ago to US$2,450/FEU.

 

An airline source said: "These are theoretical figures, no one is taking reservations."