Newsletter – March 17, 2021

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

Cargo volumes have skyrocketed – but are forwarders and truckers paying the price?

aircargonews.net
Despite encouraging progress towards widespread distribution, the Covid-19 vaccine, many consumers remain quarantined at home, choosing the convenience of online delivery of their essential merchandise.
The subsequent spike in volume has put tremendous pressure on every step of the cargo transportation process. There are significant challenges from seaports, to airports, to roadways that, if left unresolved, will result in a higher cost for the consumer. Read more here.

Most Covid-19 vaccines have wheels, not wings

cargofowarder.eu
The dollar or euro sign was already looming in the eyes of airline managers when they spoke of an upcoming avalanche of Covid-19 vaccines to be transported by air – the biggest airlift ever. That was last October and November. Today, 4 months later, the actual figures are rather sobering. Read more here.

Air cargo demand up in February but regional trends differ

aircargonews.net
Air cargo demand continued to increase in February but regional performance varies greatly, according to the latest statistics from data provider WorldACD.
Figures for February show that demand in weight during the month increased by 1.1% year on year (YoY). Over the first two months of the year, which helps offset the impact of a later Chinese New Year on comparisons, there was a 0.9% increase. Read more here.

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Update on Labour Situation at Port of Montreal

ciffa.com
CIFFA received notice that the Longshoremen’s Union CUPE Local 375 has advised its members of the following.
-On March 15, a hearing took place before the Canada Industrial Relations Board on the issue of the union being said to be negotiating in bad faith. A ruling from the CIRB is expected soon.
-On March 12, the employer, the Maritime Employers Association, put forth a final offer to the union. This is not an agreement in principle.
-The union will send out the final offer to members on March 18 by email and, for those who do not have email, copies of the offer will be available at the Maison des Débardeurs office.
-The Port of Montreal will be closed on March 21 from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm for a special meeting of members, during which time the contents of the final offer will be discussed.
-The union will follow up with information on timing and format of the meeting in order to facilitate maximum attendance for voting on the final offer.

Port congestion reporting service launches

splash247.com
On the heels of its recent acquisition of Ocean Insights, project44 has debuted its free container port visibility reporting service, Port Intel.
Free for a limited time, Port Intel is an online service that provides subscribers with free reports that summarise port congestion, inform them when their containers are anchored near congested ports, and help them make critical inventory and management decisions. Read more here.

San Pedro Bay congestion recedes to Christmas Eve level

freightwaves.com
The number of container ships at anchor in San Pedro Bay has dropped by more than half since the 40 waiting to berth at either the port of Los Angeles or Long Beach on Feb. 1.
Seventeen container vessels were at anchor late Tuesday morning, with 10 destined for the Port of LA, according to Executive Director Gene Seroka. Read more here.

Ocean to compete with air for vaccine deliveries, says Maersk

lloydsloadinglist.com
Ships will soon compete with planes to deliver COVID-19 vaccines in a distribution drive that could take four years, The Financial Times reports, quoting a senior executive at AP Møller Maersk.
Most of the vaccines have been transported by air and land since the factories are mainly located in Europe, the US and India, close to early recipients. But ships will be used increasingly to access markets in Africa, Asia and South America from midway through this year, when Maersk predicts vaccine supply will outstrip air freight capacity, the newspaper noted. Read more here.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

Diversifying sourcing ‘critical to alleviate supply chain volatility’

lloydsloadinglist.com
Diversifying sourcing is widely now seen as critical to alleviating supply chain volatility, with almost 90% of shippers diversifying their supplier base or planning to diversify their suppliers, a new report has found.
‘The State of The Freight 2021’ report, based on a survey of over 300 supply chain professionals conducted by supply-chain automation platform Centersource and logistics media consultancy Charlie Pesti, identified what it describes as “massive visibility gaps and urgent needs for digitalisation in logistics” after finding “how unprepared many industry stakeholders were when trade wars and then COVID-19 shook global supply chains”. Read more here.