Newsletter – March 11, 2021

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    Mar

    Newsletter – March 11, 2021
    AIR FREIGHT UPDATES
    Tight capacity and vaccine demand surge set to keep air freight rates high

    lloydsloadinglist.com
    Constrained capacity, a surge in the roll-out of vaccine shipments worldwide, and already buoyant demand in the air cargo sector for other commodities are likely to keep air freight rates at their current buoyant levels for some time to come, according to a senior executive at a leading air charter broker. Read more here.

    Many Air France Domestic Flights Will Be Replaced By Trains

    simpleflying.com
    Air France will significantly scale back its domestic network in a bid to cut costs and reach environmental goals required by its bailout deal. The changes will mean that the airline’s domestic network out of Paris Orly Airport will shrink drastically, with routes to cities like Lyon and Bourdeaux canceled and replaced by train services. Here’s more on these changes. Read more here.

    OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES
    Congress pushes FMC to act on carriers opting for empty boxes vs exports

    theloadstar.com
    Political pressure is mounting on US authorities to crack down on shipping lines that refuse to carry American exports in preference to loading empty containers.
    Yesterday, 111 members of Congress jointly signed a letter calling for the FMC to hold carriers to account.
    They said: “Over the past year, American producers, exporters and entire economic sectors have grappled with widespread delays, bottlenecks and increasing fees at our ports. Read more here (login required).

    America’s container-shipping gridlock: California vs. Georgia

    freightwaves.com
    The spotlight has focused on the armada of container ships stuck in California’s San Pedro Bay, awaiting berths in Los Angeles and Long Beach. But that’s not the whole story: Anchorages are bloated with box ships elsewhere along the West Coast, in Oakland and British Columbia, and on the East Coast off Savannah, Georgia. Read more here.

    Port of Long Beach volume jumps 43.3% year-over-year

    freightwaves.com
    The Port of Long Beach announced Wednesday “an unseasonable surge in cargo” had led to its busiest February on record.
    That surge has put the entire container shipping world’s focus on California’s San Pedro Bay, where historic congestion has resulted in an unprecedented backlog of vessels laden with cargo waiting for berth space.
    “We understand that shippers are awaiting their cargo and we are collaborating with our industry partners to deliver shipments as quickly as possible,” Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero said in a press release. Read more here.

    International intermodal traffic climbs amid import boom

    freightwaves.com
    Double-digit percentage gains for international intermodal container volume is helping boost overall U.S. intermodal traffic as the supply chain responds to strong e-commerce activity.
    According to FreightWaves SONAR, the 22% year-over-year increase in U.S container volume over the last week was propelled largely by gains in international intermodal volume. International intermodal volume (right chart) rose 44% year-over-year, while domestic intermodal volume (left chart) rose 3% during the same time frame.  Read more here.

    GROUND AND RAIL UPDATES
    More than 25% of Trucks Leaving the UK for EU Are Empty as Exports Dive

    theloadstar.com
    More than a quarter of the trucks crossing into the EU from the UK are travelling empty, as Brexit eats into UK export figures.
    Data from the Road Haulage Association (RHA) shows empty trucks leaving the UK accounted for 26% of all truck movements into the EU, with total loaded haulage exports down 47% last month, compared with last year. Read more here (login required).

    INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES
    Shippers warned to prepare for freight tendering ‘tsunami’

    lloydsloadinglist.com
    Data-driven logistics procurement platform Shipsta has seen inbound sales enquiries rise 75% quarter-on-quarter as shippers look to digital technologies to help manage rising freight costs.
    The company said it was also seeing “greater urgency and shortening sales cycles as shippers prepare for problems in freight tendering as a result of historic levels of disruption and volatility”. Read more here.

    Supply chains unravel as Myanmar military escalates retaliation to protests

    theloadstar.com
    As the post-coup crisis in Myanmar escalates, more shipping lines have suspended cargo bookings and closed local offices.
    “The situation is critical,” Maersk Myanmar told customers, “the ongoing unrest is becoming a disaster,”
    “Physical safety and mental health is compromised, not only for our people, but also for the people we are responsible for through our business.”  Read more here.

    Congress says carriers are undermining US export trade

    lloydsloadinglist.com
    The Federal Maritime Commission has received a further call from the US Congress to use the Shipping Act to address “unjust and unreasonable” ocean carrier practices resulting from the pandemic.
    In a letter to commission chairman Michael Khouri, 111 members of Congress expressed their concerns over what they see as ocean carrier actions that are undermining US exports. Read more here.

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