/ By TJ China Freight / Shipping

Soaring container ship freight rates threaten the global economic outlook?

Entering 2021, the imbalance between supply and demand in the container shipping market has still not been resolved, and the persistently high container shipping rate is becoming a major threat to the global economic outlook this year.

 

The shortage of containers is difficult to alleviate, and the freight rates of various routes remain high

 

Affected by the epidemic and the peak shipments before the Spring Festival, the volume of goods on the European and North American routes remained high, the port congestion, and the lack of containers made container turnover difficult, and the imbalance of supply and demand in the container shipping market has not been effectively alleviated. The freight rates of all routes around the world have remained high.

 

Recently, due to the epidemic situation, the port congestion has caused the average space utilization rate of container ships from Shanghai Port to Europe to continue to be fully loaded. Most ships maintain the original freight rates, and only the spot market booking prices have dropped slightly. According to statistics from the Shanghai Shipping Exchange, the freight rate (sea freight and ocean freight surcharges) for exports from Shanghai to the European basic port market on January 15 was 4,413 USD/TEU, down 0.9% from the previous period; the freight rate for Shanghai exports to the Mediterranean basic port market (sea freight) And shipping surcharge) is 4296 US dollars/TEU, the same as the previous period.

 

The North American route also has bottlenecks in container transportation. The average space utilization rate of ships from Shanghai Port to the East and West US routes is nearly full. The freight rates of the routes are stable, and the spot market booking prices have increased slightly. On January 15th, the freight rates (sea freight and ocean freight surcharges) for Shanghai exports to the basic ports of the West and East US ports were 4,054 US dollars/FEU and 4,800 US dollars/FEU, respectively. The West US routes rose slightly by 0.9% and the US East routes rose 1.1%. .

 

The South American epidemic is severe, the import demand is large, and the transportation demand is high. Consolidation companies are increasing overtime shipping schedules to ease the shortage of capacity. The average space utilization of ships on the Shanghai Port to South America route is over 95%, and most of the flights are fully loaded. Some shipping companies have increased booking prices, and the spot market freight rates have risen slightly. On January 15th, the freight rate (sea freight and ocean freight surcharge) for exports from Shanghai to the basic port market in South America was 8907 US dollars/TEU, up 3.2% from the previous period.

Soaring container ship freight rates threaten the global economic outlook?

In Asia, the two major port congestion problems in Singapore and Malaysia, Port Klang are the most serious. Many European or Middle Eastern routes skipped these two ports and did not call. Therefore, freight forwarders had to ship customers to Singapore or Port Klang. The cargoes of South Korea will be imported and exported from the neighboring Johor Port. It is estimated that Singapore, Port Klang and Ho Chi Minh City may rise before the Spring Festival holiday on the Southeast Asian route.

 

At present, there is no news about the increase of freight rates on the routes of Europe and Southeast Asia. However, because of the obvious shortage of space, the purchase fee for the US route remains high. The purchase fee for the US Eastern route was increased to US$4,000/FEU in mid-January, but so far there has been a purchase fee of US$6000/FEU. The purchase fee has reached US$2500. In addition, the port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach have recently reported that hundreds of dockers have been diagnosed. The multi-billion dollar logistics economy of the two ports may be severely slowed down. The situation is even more unoptimistic.

 

Consolidation costs have risen several times, and the global economy may be profoundly affected

 

Most people in the industry believe that the problem of imbalance between supply and demand in the container shipping market will continue at least until the first quarter of this year. Nerijus Poskus, deputy general manager of Flexport, a San Francisco freight and customs brokerage company, estimates that the current global container gap has reached 500,000, which is almost equivalent to the world’s 25 largest vessels. Compared with last year, the loading capacity of 20,000 boxes of ships may increase the pressure on shipping costs this year.

 

Experts pointed out that it is expected that a large number of empty containers in Europe and the United States will be shipped back one to three months after the Spring Festival in April and May. The shortage of containers is expected to be alleviated, but the specifics are still difficult to say. In the follow-up, the impact of the lack of containers can be judged by three major signals: retail inventory, global ship on-time rate, and the latest container ship supply and demand. If the retail inventory level remains at a low level, it indicates that demand is still strong; if the ship on-time rate starts to rise from a low point, it means that the port congestion has been eased.

 

According to Alphaliner’s latest estimates in December last year, the global container loading and unloading volume this year has increased by 3.5% higher than last year; the capacity supply has increased by 3.9% annually, and the gap between supply and demand has narrowed, which shows the oversupply of the container shipping market in the past decade The phenomenon has been reversed. Although this year seems to be a year of healthy supply and demand, if the epidemic breaks out again, the market will be full of uncertainties.

Soaring container ship freight rates threaten the global economic outlook?

Strange phenomena are frequent under the epidemic. Although the global economy is still severely hit by the epidemic, the container shipping industry has experienced the most severe price increase in history, and the shortage of supply has intensified the upward trend of container freight rates. Comprehensive data shows that the current freight rates of popular routes such as the European and American routes have increased by several times. The Australian routes have increased substantially by nearly 9 times, and the European routes have also soared by more than 5 times, even for Southeast Asian routes. Prices have also risen, and have increased more than four times since the end of last year.

 

Some manufacturers frankly said that they can no longer afford the current level of freight rates, and it is even more difficult to pass on the additional costs caused by the soaring freight rates to customers. The goods that were supposed to be delivered in the fourth quarter of last year have not yet been able to ship due to lack of containers and no flags. However, the warehouse can no longer accommodate the piles of goods. Some European countries even bid 8,000 euros (about 63,000 yuan). No usable container can be found. This is a situation that has not been seen in the past few decades.

 

Obviously, the soaring freight rate caused by the imbalance of supply and demand has affected the operation level from the supply chain level. The company is forced to reduce production or increase inventory pressure, which affects cash flow, and even affects the entire industrial chain because of the reduction in orders. The demand side. Consumers and companies have to bear the increased cost of shipping freight, which may have a longer impact on the economy than the problem of "missing containers".

/ By TJ China Freight / Shipping

“When the pressure on the maritime supply chain can be eased, no one can say”

In the past two months, the cost of transporting goods from China to Europe has more than quadrupled, hitting a record high, due to the pandemic disrupting global trade and the shortage of empty containers.

 

Data from shippers and importers show that the freight for transporting a 40-foot container from Asia to Northern Europe has risen from approximately US$2,000 in November last year to more than US$9,000.

Lars Jensen, CEO of maritime consulting company SeaIntelligence, said that the reason for the increase in freight rates is the market's competition for limited resources-containers.

 

In the first half of 2020, due to a sudden slowdown in global trade due to the epidemic blockade, shipping companies have suspended large-scale shipping and thousands of empty containers are stranded in Europe and the United States. In the second half of the year, when Western countries' demand for Asian-made goods rebounded, competition among shippers for available containers pushed up freight rates.

 

John Butler, Chairman of the World Shipping Council, said, "The freight volume has dropped from a sharp decline to soaring to the highest level in history, and the effective handling capacity of the terminal has exceeded the upper limit."

 

He added that the congestion in the port has caused freight rates to rise, and shipping companies charge additional fees to compensate for the longer waiting time.

 

 

"When the pressure on the maritime supply chain can be eased, no one can say"

 

 

British freight forwarding company Edge Worldwide CEO Philip Edge said that some shipping companies charge US$12,000 per container, much higher than the US$2,000 in October last year.

 

The British Household Electrical Appliance Manufacturers Association stated in a statement, “According to member companies’ disclosures, shipping costs have increased by more than 300% since 2020. Especially for some commodities, the increase in shipping costs has exceeded the net increase Profit. Therefore, these costs will have to be passed on to the end user."

 

The owner of a leisure goods importer in Manchester said that the shortage of containers is having a “huge impact” on his business, and some orders placed in November are still waiting to be shipped. "The question is, is it to pay $12,000 now and pass the cost on to the customer, or to wait at the risk of exhausting inventory?"

 

Economists say that such interruptions and delays are beginning to affect global supply chains. Neil Shearing, chief economist at Capital Economics, said that "transportation pressure is accumulating and may increase further."

 

A recent survey by IHS Markit found that in December last year, the delivery time of manufacturing suppliers in the Eurozone reached the worst level since the peak of the pandemic lockdown in April. Shipping delays and general commodity shortages were "widely mentioned" by suppliers. .

 

 

"When the pressure on the maritime supply chain can be eased, no one can say"

 

 

The companies surveyed stated that they are consuming inventory of raw materials and semi-finished products, resulting in a decline in inventory.

 

Bert Colijn, senior economist at ING, said that "supply shortages and rising freight rates may slightly curb trade growth."

 

On the occasion of the Chinese New Year in February, the Asian manufacturing industry slowed down. Shipping companies hope to use this time to solve the problem of increasing backlog orders, which will temporarily cool freight rates.

 

However, BIMCO chief shipping analyst Peter Sand said that the shortage of containers may continue for a long time in 2021. Although the shipping company has ordered new containers, in his opinion, such a move is "too small and too late."

 

Lars Jensen also believes that although freight rates may drop slightly, "there are still a lot of goods waiting to be transported."

 

John Butler pointed out that only when epidemic-related restrictions are reduced and people have more diverse service choices, the pressure on the maritime supply chain can be alleviated, but no one can say when it can be improved.

/ 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

From USD 13-1.6 million/FEU, freight rates on Asia-Europe routes continue to rise! The tight capacity has not yet eased and will continue into the second quarter

Equipment shortages, strong demand, and soaring freight rates in Asia and Europe have almost run through the entire Christmas-New Year holiday. Freight forwarders and carriers are almost unlikely to see market conditions ease before the Chinese New Year in February.

According to data from the Baltic Daily Freight Index (FBX), spot prices from China to Northern Europe reached an incredible $7,701 per TEU on January 15 , a year-on-year increase of 268%.

From USD 13-1.6 million/FEU, freight rates on Asia-Europe routes continue to rise! The tight capacity has not yet eased and will continue into the second quarter

From USD 13-1.6 million/FEU, freight rates on Asia-Europe routes continue to rise! The tight capacity has not yet eased and will continue into the second quarter

The freight rate from China to the Mediterranean region also drew the same curve, and the rate per FEU7496 USD increased by 203% over the same period last year.

From USD 13-1.6 million/FEU, freight rates on Asia-Europe routes continue to rise! The tight capacity has not yet eased and will continue into the second quarter

From USD 13-1.6 million/FEU, freight rates on Asia-Europe routes continue to rise! The tight capacity has not yet eased and will continue into the second quarter

Data from Xeneta, an internationally renowned freight benchmark and market analysis platform, shows that since the end of October 2020, spot freight rates in Asia and Europe have risen almost vertically, from US$1,164 per TEU to US$4,191 on January 2, 2021.

These indexes reflect the total rate of trade payments, and shippers are also reporting that freight forwarders have given them eye-popping prices for Asia-Europe freight. A shipper told reporters that, last week, a freight company reported a one-week Asia-Northern Europe freight rate, which reached US$13,000 to US$16,000 per FEU.

The shipper said: "I know the capacity of this route may be more tight than other routes, but such prices are still too crazy."

From USD 13-1.6 million/FEU, freight rates on Asia-Europe routes continue to rise! The tight capacity has not yet eased and will continue into the second quarter

From February 12th, China will begin to celebrate the Lunar New Year, and factories are usually closed for three weeks around the Spring Festival. However, since the beginning of this year, there have been various mixed reports from Chinese manufacturers. Some factories will cancel holidays in order to cope with the backlog of orders, and some factories will take longer holidays.

This uncertainty makes the capacity management of carriers more difficult. The sea intelligence agency (sea intelligence) recently stated in a newsletter that during the three-week Spring Festival beginning at the end of January, the carrier has so far announced only seven cancellations of the Asia-Europe route. The shipowners have announced that they will cut their total capacity by 6% to 13%, compared with 40% in January last year.

The newsletter pointed out that shipowners usually announce cancelled flights six to eight weeks before the Spring Festival, putting people under pressure of "time pressing". However, there may be other reasons behind the silence of the shipowner.

A Maersk spokesperson said that although the demand outlook for this year is still limited, the current freight purchase model and the supply of container equipment and ships are only temporary. Maersk expects that demand will "normalize" in the first half of the year, and plans to reduce voyages around the Spring Festival to rebalance the flow of containers. The spokesperson said that stocks in the US and European markets have basically been replenished, and the introduction of vaccines "will also ease this situation."

For the time being, we still see no signs of weakening demand

But obviously not everyone agrees with Maersk's view. Dominique von Orelli, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Ocean Freight at DHL Global Forwarding, said that continued strong demand will keep container freight rates high in the first quarter of this year run. He said that " this extremely strong demand momentum" showed no signs of abating .

From USD 13-1.6 million/FEU, freight rates on Asia-Europe routes continue to rise! The tight capacity has not yet eased and will continue into the second quarter

Von Aurely said, "During the Spring Festival, freight rates may drop slightly, but the overall upward momentum should continue until March or even the second quarter." He added that any shipment exceeding the agreed minimum quantity commitment (MQC) The volume will increase the price.

"Now if you go to a retail store in Germany and want to buy a sports jacket, or go to IKEA to buy a bed, or go to a furniture dealer to buy a chair, they will give you a lead time of 12 weeks or more because the inventory has been It’s emptied.” The source added, “Most companies are trying to replenish inventory, but at the same time, the strong demand has not been reduced. Therefore, it is still difficult to increase the inventory to the customer’s demand. It will take some time to achieve The state of supply and demand balance, so we predict that demand will not stabilize until March or April."

From USD 13-1.6 million/FEU, freight rates on Asia-Europe routes continue to rise! The tight capacity has not yet eased and will continue into the second quarter

Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd, also holds the same view. He said in the latest market report in late December last year, "Two months ago, I said that (high) demand will continue until the Chinese New Year. The traffic will drop."

He added: "Today, I have to honestly say that we may still have to deal with very high transportation volumes in the future. After all, the bottleneck that cannot ease the current capacity shortage is not only in the logistics link, but also in the production link. There is still a lot of work to be done. I’m afraid it will take some time to solve the bottleneck. China Spring Energy allows us to breathe in two to three weeks. But not everything will be resolved within this time."

Since the peak of the third quarter of 2020, with the high demand in Asia and Europe, China has faced a serious shortage of empty containers. The executive of the European logistics industry said that the problem of tight container supply will continue into the second quarter. He said: "The second quarter is expected to see the relief of the new crown epidemic. By then, there will be more labor supply in warehouses and terminals in Europe and other destinations, which will accelerate the flow of containers."

/ By TJ China Freight / Shipping

A Guide to Sea Freight Shipping from China

Sea freight is the largest method of shipping for international import and export business. Competitive prices and multiple options make sea freight the first choice for global trade. When it comes to shipping from China, businesses need experienced freight forwarders like our team at Supreme Freight who are familiar with transporting for companies of differing sizes as well as to a wealth of countries. As a China freight agent, we hope that you are able to gain something from the knowledge and experience shared in this article.

Trade Terms

Get accustomed to all the codes and terminology with our simple breakdown:

Incoterms – A term given to one of the common terms of trade. When applied to buying goods from China, there are four incoterms. Each of the incoterms are assigned a code relating to how far the suppliers transport the shipment to. The codes of these incoterms are as follows:

EXW – Transport as far as the factory/manufacturer

FOB – Transport as far as a nearby port in China

CIF – Transport to a nearby port in your country

DAP/DDU – Transfer to your place of business

The codes can be split into two further categories:

  • EXW/FOB Category – The buyer can utilise your own freight agent and liaise with them directly regarding payment.
  • The Other Category – The buyer uses their own freight company and your company subsidises that.

When looking for a freight forwarder, it is important that you understand these terms and codes to enable them to know your requirements when shipping your goods to China.

Container Types

It is important to know the following commonly used container types:

  • 20’GP – Allows for 20ft of storage. 20’GP is designed to carry more weight than voluminous cargo. E.g. Minerals, metal and machinery
  • 40’GP – Allows for 40ft of storage. 40’GP is designed to carry more voluminous cargo than heavy cargo. E.g. Furniture, tyres, and toys
  • 40’HC – Allows for 40ft of storage for shipments of a great height.

Although the volume of the 40’ containers are double the volume of the 20’, they are still bound to the same weight restriction that China applies to its exports which is no more than 27-28 tons. The ocean rates for a 40’ container shipped from China are less than two 20’ containers and it is no extra cost from a 40’ container for a 40’HC.

Freight forwarders are also knowledgeable of these commonly used container types. Knowing this information upfront will allow the freight forwarder to help and advise you with the right service.

Shipment Type

Shipment types come in the following two categories:

  • Full Container Load (FCL) – In which a company fills a whole container with their own goods. Containers can be from 20 – 45 feet long.
  • Less than Container Load (LCL) – Where different companies share the same container and load their shipments into it. This would then get split once it reaches port.

In order to ascertain what shipment type is best for your business you need to consider the packaging that your shipment requires whilst being transported, if you select an LCL, would it be better for your shipment to use a courier or decide whether it is possible to use an FCL.

Major Ports

Each port has a different charge for FCL and LCL containers. The breakdown of the Chinese ports are as follows:

  • Shanghai – This major city enjoys the most economically developed of everything. From where it is located, it serves interior provinces via river ports along the waterway that extends from it.
  • Shenzen – This port is accessible to Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta making it another key port for the South of China.
  • Ningbo-Zhousan – This port serves both Ningbo, which has good connections with Central and Western China and Zhejiang, a wealthy region with a manufacturing industry.
  • Hong Kong – Fastly expanding into the ‘international shipping service hub of the Far East,’ Hong Kong provides 340 container liner services per week, connecting to around 470 destinations worldwide.
  • Guangzhou – Historically, a key centre of trade in China, the port is striving to be the international shipment hub for the Maritime Silk Road component. It is a port that provides options for importers, exporters, third party logistic companies and ocean carriers with its reduced port and berthing fees.
  • Qingdao – The most important port of Northern China. It is located next to the Bohai Bay region of which it serves.
  • Tianjin – This port is second only to Qingdao port in capacity in Northern China. The port’s container handling business are developing additional domestic and international routes.
  • Xiamen – The port is located at the mouth of the Jiulongjiang River and has over 68 shipping routes to over 50 countries including Kaohsiung in Taiwan.
  • Dalian – This port is located at the most northern ice-free port of China and is the largest port in North East China serving seaports in East Asia, North Asia, and the Pacific Rim.

Researching into the port that best serves where your shipment will be transported to, will enable your freight forwarder to connect you with our most suitable partners.

For a consultation and advice on your shipment, get in touch with us and we will do our best to help.

/ By TJ China Freight / Shipping

Global container ship freight rates soared by 80%

In the second half of last year, the rapid recovery of the shipping market caused the “hard to find one container” situation to continue after the beginning of this year-empty containers are still in demand, and some people can't order containers with 10,000 US dollars. On January 8th, at the Hudong Wharf of Waigaoqiao, Shanghai Port, the terminal production has been operating at full capacity recently. In the yard, there are a large number of containers stacked, and the number of heavy containers for storing goods is much larger than the number of empty containers. The industry believes that the shortage of empty containers and the hard-to-find situation of one container will continue for some time.

Where are the empty boxes that you can't get?

 

"A box is hard to find" continues to be staged, how can the market relieve the "box worries"?

 

 

Chinese shippers and freight forwarders all over the world "seeking" empty containers, but where did the empty containers go? The answer is simple, it is blocked in other ports.

While the Asian port and shipping industry is desperately desperate for empty containers, although there is a shortage of shipping capacity, price increases can be used to push shipping companies to cancel suspending, refilling, and increase shipping capacity; however, a large number of containers full of cargo are seriously stranded in European and American ports and warehouses. , Unable to move.

A British freight forwarder said, "Our customers are willing to pay such a high freight, but due to port congestion, we are still working hard to move the boxes. Some boxes have been on the dock for more than four weeks and still don’t know what Time to ship."

At the same time, urgently needed empty containers in Asia are scattered in warehouses across Europe, especially in the United Kingdom, where troubled ports have to restrict container delivery to already overcrowded terminals.

The current shortage of containers is a once-in-a-hundred-year problem in the history of global supply chains, and there is basically no solution in the short term. In recent weeks, some container ships sailed from Asia to Europe, but did not return in time, resulting in a serious shortage of empty containers.

A carrier source said: “Due to the insufficient number of containers in the warehouses in China, we have had to reduce the number of recent voyages.” All carriers report that their warehouses are severely lacking the most popular 40-foot tall containers and 40 Foot standard containers, most of the time, even 20 foot containers are in short supply.

The latest container availability index report from Container xChange shows that the availability of the entire China is "still at the lowest level in history." The report added: “Due to the rapid growth in demand after a few months of blank sailing, the current availability rate of 40-foot high cabinets in China is only 0.05 points, compared with 0.63 in the same period last year.” Data above 0.5 indicates surplus, and below 0.5 indicates deficit.

A British freight forwarder revealed that many ocean carriers (shipping companies) now refuse to accept their export bookings until mid-January. "Our customers are ready to pay for these crazy prices, but the ports are blocked. We are still trying to pull the boxes away. He said: “We have some boxes on the dock for more than four weeks, but we still don’t know when they can be unloaded. "

At the same time, urgently needed containers in Asia are scattered in warehouses across Europe, especially in the UK. In the UK, congested ports began to order to restrict containers from being shipped back to already overcrowded terminals.

“The epidemic situation in Europe and the United States still exists, and the labor force in the ports is definitely relatively short, and the speed of customs clearance will slow down. This will prevent the timely unloading of incoming goods and allow the containers that could be turned around to stay abroad for a long time." Yang Li, a retired freight forwarder, analyzed. In addition, since the third quarter, China's export business has increased in volume, which has also intensified the pressure on container demand.

Global container ship freight rates soared by 80%

 

"A box is hard to find" continues to be staged, how can the market relieve the "box worries"?

 

 

The lack of containers in the market has led to soaring shipping rates, and the price increase of popular routes is even more exaggerated. Guo Shaohai, head of the International Freight Forwarding Company, said that the freight rate on the same route has doubled in the past six months. For foreign trade companies, production cannot be stopped. It is difficult to ship a large amount of goods with orders, and there is great financial pressure. The industry expects that the shortage of containers and space will continue.

Guo Shaohai said that on May 18, 2020, the sea freight from Shanghai to Long Beach on the West Coast of the United States was US$1,550 for a 40-foot container at that time. It was US$4,500 on January 7 this year.

Yan Xianjie, the sales manager of an international cargo company in Shanghai, said that the price of small cabinets will rise to more than US$4,000 per cabinet in the US West, and the US East small cabinets may have to rise to US$6,000 or 7,000, and there may be no space before the new year. . Prices in Europe continue to increase, and large cabinets may rise to US$9,800, and many customers do not have a cabinet for US$10,000.

The comprehensive index of China's export container freight rate is a "barometer" of price changes in the container transportation market. The latest data from the Shanghai Shipping Exchange show that on January 8, the comprehensive index of China's export container freight rate reported 1,753.85 points, a record high again. The average in May 2020 is only 837.74 points.

"Lianhe Zaobao" reported on January 8 that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused global port congestion and “unavailable containers”, which in turn pushed up ship freight rates soaring by about 80% within two months. The current increase has not faded.

According to the global container freight rate of Drewry, a shipping consulting company, the freight rate per TEU at the end of last year was US$4,359 (approximately S$5752), which is an increase of 75% from the level of approximately US$2500 in October last year. %.

Prior to this, a container shipping company pointed out that the current European route and Mediterranean route freight rates have reached a record high. Although the European route rises later than the US route, the rise is much faster than the US route. On December 11, the freight rate of the western US route was flat at 3948 US dollars/FEU, and the US eastern route was 4804 US dollars/FEU, which increased slightly by 2.2%, which was also approaching a historical high.

Since the fourth quarter of last year, the freight rate of the Far East to Europe route has soared rapidly. In the past two and a half months, it has risen by 152.39%, which is almost three times the difference from the low of US$725 in late April this year. Since September, the freight rate of the Far East to Europe route has exceeded 1,000 US dollars. Due to the difficulty of finding a container in the container shipping market, the rapid increase in the volume of Asian exports to Europe, and the congestion of British ports, the European line freight rate has begun to surge and is expected to exceed 3,000 US dollars this week. .

How to solve the problem of missing boxes

 

"A box is hard to find" continues to be staged, how can the market relieve the "box worries"?

 

 

The shortage of containers and the sharp increase in freight rates have attracted the attention of market management departments. China's container production and sales account for 96% of the global market, and it has formed an industrial cluster with full product lines, full supply chains, and full technical capabilities. In this regard, Gao Feng, spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce, stated at a press conference on December 3, 2020 that he will work with relevant departments to promote increased capacity allocation, support accelerated container return transportation, improve operational efficiency, and support container manufacturers to expand production capacity. . At the same time, it will increase the intensity of market supervision, strive to stabilize market prices, and provide logistics support for the steady development of foreign trade.

After experiencing industry losses in 2019 and a shortage of orders in the first half of 2020, container manufacturers have finally ushered in their own busy moments. According to a source from a large domestic container manufacturer, factory employees now have to trot to go to the toilet and eat lunch for only ten minutes, just to speed up the production progress. "We haven't encountered such a good market in many years. The whole industry is stepping up the production of new boxes, and orders have been scheduled until March next year." He said.

Qingdao CIMC Reefer Container Manufacturing Co., Ltd., located in the Shanghe Demonstration Zone in Jiaozhou, is rushing to make container orders in the workshop. "Starting from the third quarter of 2020, we have been running at full capacity to ensure growth and stable production." The relevant person in charge said that the company will gradually resume orders from the third quarter and make every effort to increase production and ensure supply. This trend is expected to continue until 2021 The first quarter.

However, people in the shipping industry predicted that the shortage of containers will continue until the first quarter of 2021. Therefore, there are already large domestic container companies that dare not rush to take orders for the second quarter of 2021.

Now that the market is in short supply, it is completely possible to launch capacity projects, purchase equipment, and let workers work overtime to produce, but in the long run, this will break the balance of supply and demand in the global container market.

At present, the service life of containers is 10 to 15 years. After the rapid one-time release of production capacity, what about next year or the next year? The development of the industrial chain still requires a long stream of water. Therefore, while moderately increasing production capacity, it is also necessary to work hard on container inventory.

For example, major shipping companies are currently stepping up to empty containers from Europe and the United States. In order to ship European and American empty containers back to Asia as soon as possible, some shipping companies in the European and American markets have tried not to take back the cargo, especially the goods exported from the US inland to Asia. If the US grain is exported in the peak season, the container will cost about in and out of the inland. Two weeks, and the grain is heavy cargo, which affects the loading of ships. In October 2020, the German Hapag-Lloyd shipping company (Hapag-Lloyd) publicly announced that it would suspend the shipping of US soybeans and other US agricultural products in containers.

Industry insiders also pointed out that alleviating the pain of the shortage of shipping containers must tap the potential and expand the capacity of the entire industry chain.

On the one hand, the inventory capacity encourages and supports domestic shipping companies to restore their capacity to the pre-epidemic level as quickly as possible. At the same time, they increase the supply of containers by opening overtime ships, deploying ships from other routes, and seeking charters from the market. Domestic shipping and logistics companies should actively coordinate overseas partners and overseas companies to improve the efficiency of international container turnover. Freight forwarders and shipping companies should actively communicate with them, and do a good job in peak-shift transportation planning and scientific management of space.

Not only that, it is necessary to seek a close connection between railway containers and shipping, allowing containers to circulate between continents, thereby reducing the cost of container use. At the policy level, it is possible to increase subsidies for shipping and land transportation companies for container return, and to issue port exchange coupons and merchant special coupons to export companies to help them reduce their freight burden.

In addition, commerce departments and customs should strengthen the supervision and supervision of shipping companies' freight rates, and conduct timely interviews and financial penalties for improper behaviors such as sudden price increases and arbitrarily asking prices.

/ By TJ China Freight / Shipping

In the spring of 2021, will the shipping companies charge wildly?

The 2020 epidemic has brought tremendous changes to the shipping market. In the first quarter of 2021, this change is expected to continue; both shipowners and shippers may strive to convert long-term leases into short-term leases.

The beginning of each year is the peak period for annual lease negotiations. Many market participants believe that in 2021, many trade routes will maintain high freight rates. Therefore, the negotiated price in early 2021 may hit a record high.

David Bennett, the head of Globe Express Services in the United States, said in his December cargo outlook report: “Don’t tell the other party that 2021 is an ordinary year.”

 

In the spring of 2021, will the shipping companies charge wildly?

 

 

Negotiation time

Most of the annual charter prices for major routes are negotiated in March and April. The source said that if the spot market returns to normal, ship operators will negotiate ahead of time. However, it is clear that shippers/forwarders prefer to wait until the spot market freight rate drops before negotiating.

Las Jenson, CEO of SeaIntelligence, said: "I don't think any shipper is willing to negotiate on the Lunar New Year. At least it is absolutely impossible on trans-Pacific routes."

Generally speaking, the price of the annual lease is negotiated according to the current spot market conditions. Therefore, due to the current good market situation in the consolidation market and the high freight rate, if the contract is signed now, it is likely to appear in the next few months. Because the spot price drops to a level lower than the contract price, the shipper/forwarder bears greater losses.

Market observers predict that due to the surge in freight rates in the second half of 2020 and the confidence of shipping alliances in their own capacity management capabilities, the freight rates proposed by carriers on major trade routes may be higher.

A North American counterpart said: “The freight rates on all major routes will increase in 2020. The days when the freight rate on the west coast of North America was US$1,500/FEU are gone. The carrier will increase the freight rate on the Trans-Pacific route in 2021. The starting price may be as high as US$2500/FEU."

An annual lease can sometimes be replaced by rolling contracts of three to six months, but this is mainly to protect the shipowner and allow the carrier to modify the contract terms when the rent/freight rises, so the shipper/forwarder It is best not to hope with this.

Bennett said: "I think the contract period of a short-term lease and a long-term lease will be different."

The spot market has a growing trend

Currently, the spot market only accounts for less than half of the main routes. However, because some shippers hope to take advantage of the possible downward trend in spot market prices after the Lunar New Year to obtain contracts with lower prices, it is expected that the proportion of the spot market will increase in 2021, showing a mid-to-long term relative to the contracted freight volume. The momentum of growth.

However, some shippers may strive to sign long-term leases (multi-year) to hedge against further increases in freight rates and prevent such situations from happening again in 2020. In the third and fourth quarters of 2020, the spot market aroused strong condemnation from some customers with long-term leases. Some shippers stated that their cargo was abandoned by shipowners who prefer spot cargo and stranded in the docks of North Asian ports. on.

Bennett said: "We expect greater volatility in 2021, so we remind everyone to ensure sufficient cash."

A colleague said: "If the carrier can make a lot of money through long-term leases, then the spot market may not be favored by them. In short, if the long-term leases have already given the carrier huge profits, then they There is no need to attack the spot market."

When a lower-priced lease is signed, the shipper/forwarder will make a profit, but if the spot market freight rate soars, then this shipper’s cargo may also be the first to be abandoned by the shipowner at the port. Therefore, for It can not only guarantee the safe transportation of goods, but also have the opportunity to obtain lower freight rates in the spot market, so some shippers may choose to enter the spot market in 2021.

/ 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."

/ By TJ China Freight / Shipping

Liner companies give up freight revenue and do their best to reduce the accumulation of empty containers

Shipping Australia stated that in order to reduce the backlog of empty containers at the port, liner companies directly incurred expenses and abandoned cargo operations , indicating that liner companies have provided great support for maintaining the normal operation of the Australian supply chain.

Liner companies give up freight revenue and do their best to reduce the accumulation of empty containers

The accumulation of empty containers has always been a problem faced by major ports in the world. In Sydney, weather and other factors have exacerbated this problem, affecting the exchange of import and export containers by liner companies. In order to alleviate this problem, liner companies are increasing the number of ships at the port and paying additional ship operations and port fees for this.

New South Wales Minister of Transport and Roads Andrew Constance noted that the number of empty containers exported recently reached a record level . More than 78,000 empty containers were exported in October 2020, and more than 75,000 empty containers were exported in November. The average export volume of empty containers in the first 12 months was about 64,000.

In order to reduce the accumulation of empty containers at the port, the liner company was forced to reduce the export of heavy containers:

●At present, a liner company has successfully reduced its empty container inventory from 13,000 TEU to 5,000 TEU;

● Another liner company reduced its empty container inventory from 25,000 TEU to 16,000 TEU;

●Some companies have completely emptied the empty container inventory in New South Wales;

●A ship on the route from Northeast Asia to New Zealand has been transferred to Sydney Harbour to deliver empty containers;

●The two ships will cross Melbourne and stop at Sydney and Brisbane only to transport empty containers;

●A ship normally deployed on the Singapore-Fremantle route will stop service and transfer to the Singapore-Sydney-Singapore route to load empty containers. The ship has already picked up empty containers twice before;

●A liner company deploys two ships specifically for transporting empty containers during the peak season-one with a capacity of about 2200TEU and the other with a capacity of about 2800TEU;

● Another liner company has transported more than 12,000 FEU and more than 9,000 TEU. This company also temporarily deployed a ship to load 2,114 empty containers;

●In November last year, a liner company dispatched an empty ship to transport 1,384 empty containers, and it took 7 days to wait for the berth. Public data shows that in late November, the rent of a 2500TEU container ship was $15,500/day, and the rental price of 8,500TEU was $36,000/day, in addition to other costs such as crew wages and fuel.

In order to alleviate Australia's logistics supply chain difficulties, liner companies have undertaken a heavy financial burden . For example, the round-trip journey from Singapore to Sydney exceeds 9,500 nautical miles, and it takes at least 16 days to travel at a speed of 24 knots per hour (not including port time). Including crew wages, fuel costs, insurance fees, lubricating oil fees, storage fees, crew replenishment, chartering fees, tugboat fees, pilotage fees, mooring fees, port fees, etc., a 4250TEU ship needs 150 per voyage. Ten thousand Australian dollars. And this voyage loaded all empty containers, without any freight income.

According to the Shanghai Export Container Freight Index, the current freight rate of the Singapore-Fremantle route is US$2,431/TEU. It is roughly estimated that the opportunity cost of this voyage exceeds US$10 million.

There is no doubt that in order to reduce the accumulation of empty containers, these liner companies are paying a lot of money and giving up a lot of freight revenue. Faced with unprecedented demand growth, liner companies are doing their best to relieve the backlog of empty containers to ensure the normal flow of international shipping containers in the supply chain. At present, the accumulation of empty containers at the port is improving.

/ By TJ China Freight / Shipping

Poor packaging of containerized goods causes more than $6 billion in losses to the supply chain each year

Poorly packaged containers, coupled with the shipper’s misunderstanding of the dangers of certain non-dangerous goods, may cause more than $6 billion in losses to the supply chain each year.

The well-known freight and transportation insurance company TT Club stated that “analysis consistently shows that two-thirds of accidents related to cargo damage are caused or exacerbated by bad practices when packing cargo into containers.”

And explained: "This misconduct in the supply chain has caused millions of dollars in losses, including the death of seafarers and major delays caused by container ship fires. Based on known data, all such incidents are estimated to cause economic losses of more than 6 billion US dollars each year. ."

Poor packaging of containerized goods causes more than $6 billion in losses to the supply chain each year

TT Club Loss Prevention Manager Michael Yarwood added: “The danger is not limited to chemical cargoes such as paints, cosmetics, cleaning products, fertilizers, herbicides and aerosols.

"A wide variety of consumer products and parts used in the manufacture of industrial products, household white goods and automobiles, if handled improperly during transportation, could cause major disasters."

"The list is long, and often surprising-barbecue charcoal, battery-powered electronics, fireworks, hand sanitizer, wool, cotton, plant fibers, marble, granite and other building materials, fish meal, seed cakes, etc."

He said: "Enterprises involved in purchasing, importing, storing, supplying or selling such goods should ensure that their procurement and logistics standards reach the highest level."

Poor packaging of containerized goods causes more than $6 billion in losses to the supply chain each year

He urged shippers to refer to the "Code of Practice for Cargo Transport Unit Packaging" ("CTU Code") jointly published by the International Maritime Organization, the International Labour Organization and the United Nations Economic Commission, which is the industry's closest regulation on container packaging.

Mr. Yarwood said: “It provides comprehensive information on all aspects of packaging and securing goods in freight containers and other modes of transportation under sea and land transportation. It can not only guide the personnel responsible for packaging and securing the goods, but also guide the collection Cargo and unpacking personnel."

He added: "This also solves the crucial issue of correctly describing and declaring goods, including any specific information about the handling of dangerous goods."

He said: "In addition to the serious health and safety risks already described above, poorly packaged containers may also cause damage to adjacent cargo in the event of an accident and cause significant consequences to the shipper."