Carriers are reporting some tough spots at ports in the United States and Canada as container throughput surges pre-pandemic levels while domestic infrastructure suffers due to lack of staff and port congestion. .
Maersk shipping line advised its customers, “The peak season is being identified by a number of production-related challenges, and we encourage you to add spare stock to your supply chain schedule to avoid potential disruptions and delays ”.
Carriers are also experiencing a shortage of trailers as imported containers are being kept on trailers in container yards. Shipping lines attached 2M alliance It is recommended that shippers return empty containers and trailers to them as quickly as possible to “release trailers and improve operating speeds in container terminals and storage yards.”
In addition, the labor shortage meant that the trucking capacity as well as the storage and distribution capacity were affected by work constraints caused by the pandemic, which limited the number of staff.
The carrier added, “Some truck drivers have parked their trucks and returned to their hometowns – and for port handling workers we are seeing more volatility.”
Rail services have also been disrupted, especially in Canada, where a National Canada train derailed for a three-day disruption to the volume of cargo going east from Vancouver.
That has exacerbated congestion due to strong container imports to Vancouver and Prince Rupert, indicating congestion at the port’s container yards, “often exceeds infrastructure limits,” Maersk. said, is slowing the passage.
The carrier added, “We have chosen to push the ship’s schedule up to one week (instead of leaving the ship anchored out of port for a week).”
In addition, the 2M Alliance has reinstated a number of trains that were canceled previously in response to increased cargo volume, at the request of the Chinese authorities to limit rate increases and provide additional capacity. for transport routes, which have seen freight rates hit historic highs.
In a customer announcement, a consortium of carriers based in Denmark and Switzerland advised that they would reinstate services in North America, which were canceled in the second quarter due to a slowdown in demand. point of the Covid-19 epidemic in America.
2M Alliance TP8 and TP11 services will be restored, however, carriers say that during the “Golden Week holiday, we are planning with fewer canceled trains than in previous years” .
The announcement comes after an intervention last week by China’s Ministry of Transport, which has asked shipping lines to limit rate increases and restore capacity. In response to that request, Dutch consulting firm Dynaliners reported that Chinese carrier COSCO canceled its plan to raise general rates (GRI) on September 15.
Ocean Alliance (Ocean Alliance), of which shipping line COSCO is a member, has also reinstated trains. “Ocean Alliance (incl shipping company CMA CGM, shipping company COSCO / shipping company OOCL and shipping line Evergreen), in October, will cancel two more trans-Pacific trains. However, the Alliance will still make six trans-Pacific trains that were previously canceled, so it will provide four more trains than originally planned for that month.
Union THE (THE Alliance) said it has not restored any trains so far.
Prices on the trans-Pacific service remain high according to the FBX01 index, at $ 3,835 / FEU today, up from $ 3,694 / FEU a week ago.
Editor (According to Container-News)
Source: Phaata
