What a year it’s been for global supply chains. This week’s update starts with a quick and enlightening overview of how the first half of this year unfolded in the international shipping sector. Trust us, you’ll want to read the deep dive we found into the timeline of important events that had the most influential impact on shippers during the first six months of 2021.
While truck gates should remain busy throughout this week, there was a decline in port traffic on the U.S. West Coast as a result of the recent Independence Day holiday. According to The Northwest Seaport Alliance, the Port of Tacoma’s Husky Terminal gate is set to open at 3 a.m. tomorrow morning, and “high terminal yard utilization and ocean carriers reaching on-terminal allocation continue to cause periodic shutouts of empty returns across the gateway.”
Then, there’s the continuing issue of elevated container shipping rates that are expected to stay at record levels well into next year (alongside carriers’ profits) based on JOC’s latest article. And the “doubling of detention and demurrage charges (D&D) during the pandemic” isn’t helping ease the pressure placed by these cost hikes much either. More and more companies are complaining of being charged excessive fees with little explanation on the part of the ocean liners, according to The Loadstar. Last week, JOC also reported on Maersk and Cosco/OOCL’s announcement of the arrival of new shipping services in light of the looming peak shipping season, which comes as quite a relief to many importers who are in desperate need of additional capacity.
To learn more about this week’s top international shipping news, check out the following article highlights:
