In this week’s international freight updates, we’re covering everything from the COVID vaccine, to container shortages, to booming demand, to the EU’s new pollution plan, to increasing vessel operating costs. Short on time? Check out our summary of the latest shipping industry news:
Week 49 Freight Updates
December 2nd, 2020
The role of freight forwarders in distributing the coronavirus vaccine
Recent announcements about Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine positive results brought the logistics issues to the forefront. Each movement along the supply chain is important, and freight forwarders are the linchpins, ensuring vaccines go door-to-door while maintaining their temperature.
Container shortages the biggest disrupter: where are all the empty boxes?
Some container vessels have been sailing from Asia to Europe under-utilised in recent weeks due to an acute shortage of empty boxes. A carrier source told The Loadstar: “We have had to sail light a few times recently as there are just not enough boxes at depots [in China] to meet the demand.”
Demand boom pits shipper against shipper for limited resources
As the market pressure only appears to intensify, we continue to see container freight rates increase and set new records week after week. And in this context, it should be noted that the rates increasingly also encompass not only reinstatement of peak season surcharges …
Maritime Shipping Industry, Asian Nations Object to EU Pollution Plan
Plans to extend the world’s biggest carbon market into shipping drew criticism from the industry and Asian nations, highlighting growing conflict over Europe’s unprecedented moves to protect the environment.
Drewry: As vessel operating costs increase 4.5%, shippers should focus on capacity
The daily vessel operating costs for open carriers has increased by 4.5% in 2020, according to an estimate from Drewry, which took 47 different ship sizes and types into consideration. Higher insurance payments and costs associated with the pandemic are driving the increased expenses …
