Shippers facing a pandemic-altered market; Maersk working on port congestion; 2021 post-pandemic supply chain trends; shipping problems squeezing China’s exporters; and carriers breaching contracts … all made headlines for this year’s first international freight updates. Short on time? Check out our summary of the latest shipping industry news:
Week 1 Freight Updates
January 6th, 2021
Outlook 2021: Shippers face new twists, risky turns in pandemic-altered market
Supply chain practitioners looking for a game plan in 2021 find themselves in a difficult position. The handbooks they’ve long used are missing key pages that were torn out and tossed in frustration during one of the most disruptive — and dangerous — years in living memory.
Maersk works with stakeholders on port congestion, export issues
Maersk said it is working with stakeholders to address U.S. export and congestion challenges stemming from an ongoing surge in imports at U.S. seaports, the carrier said in a press release last week. Maersk has been holding meetings with the Federal Maritime Commission, the Agriculture Transportation Coalition and the Harbor Trucking Association.
Twelve Post-Pandemic Supply-Chain Trends for 2021
As vaccines roll out more broadly, and countries begin to get the coronavirus under control, attention will turn to the recovery and a return to normal operations. The supply chain will play an integral role in this effort, and will itself emerge in a different shape, with COVID-19 leaving a lasting legacy on many areas of transportation and warehousing.
Covid-19 Shipping Problems Squeeze China’s Exporters
A logjam in the global shipping industry is testing the resilience of China’s exporters, who have driven the country’s economic recovery by churning out goods to meet surging global demand during the Covid-19 pandemic. That demand in recent months has outpaced the capacity of a global shipping industry that has been slowed by pandemic safety measures.
Shippers and forwarders claim carriers breach contracts to demand higher rates
As Asia-Europe container spot rates continue to skyrocket, shippers and freight forwarders are accusing carriers of breaching short- and long-term contracts to “charge whatever they want.” In a joint letter to the Competition Directorate of the European Commission, the European Freight Forwarders Association and European Shippers’ Council have protested about the “damage” the carriers’ behaviour …
