Newsletter – December 6, 2021

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

Air France Cargo faces strike at Paris CdG – and cancels all Hong Kong flights

theloadstar.com
Air France Cargo and Delta Cargo are expected to see delays at their Charles de Gaulle hub following industrial action.
Air France warned customers yesterday “several Air France staff unions” would strike from midnight on Friday until 6am today, but that cargo would be affected for another 24 hours. Read more here (login required).

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

It’s official: 96 container ships are waiting to dock at SoCal ports

freightwaves.com
There were 40 container ships waiting for berths within 40 miles of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on Friday. But there were also 56 container ships waiting farther out to sea, putting the actual tally at an all-time-high of 96, according to new data from the Marine Exchange of Southern California. Read more here.

Vancouver port trucker strike averted as union reaches deal with 2nd carrier

freightwaves.com
A strike by container truckers at a carrier serving the Port of Vancouver has been averted after their union reached a last-minute agreement with their company on Thursday.
Prudential Transportation signed a tentative agreement less than a day before around 120 drivers were set to begin their strike, the truckers’ union, Unifor, said. It followed a similar agreement reached by another carrier serving the port, Aheer Transportation, on Tuesday. Read more here (login require).

Recording Available: Martin Imbleau Speaking at the Traffic Club of Montreal

ciffa.com
As discussed in the December 2 eBulletin, Martin Imbleau, President and CEO of the Port of Montreal spoke with Peter Tirschwell, VP, Maritime &Trade at IHS Markit/JOC, on December 1 at a Traffic Club of Montreal luncheon conference. To access a recording of their conversation. Click here.

‘Indefinite’ strike looms at India’s ports as unions claim new law threatens jobs

theloadstar.com
India’s major public ports – already under growth pressure because of increasing competition from non-government cargo handlers led by Adani Group – face a renewed threat of labour stoppages after the government cleared new legislation reforming management systems. Read more here.

GROUND AND RAIL FREIGHT UPDATES

CP Customer Update on B.C. Operations – December 3

ciffa.com
CP’s said in a customer advisory on Friday that recovery efforts on its Thompson and Cascade subdivisions in British Columbia continue in a safe, steady and deliberate manner.
That route is CP’s busiest corridor, handling a wide range of products and commodities. It links the Port of Vancouver and B.C. to the rest of Canada and North America.
The corridor includes a directional running zone where CP and CN share rail infrastructure to maximize capacity for both railroads. During CN’s outage, CP continues to share its single line capacity with CN, operating in both directions. Delays in the directional running zone will continue until CN restores its main line.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

Cotton shortage deepens as apparel makers in China buy American

asia.nikkei.com
TOKYO — A global shortage of cotton is worsening rapidly due to a delayed harvest in the U.S., the largest exporter, as fashion brands with a footprint in China avoid cotton from the western part of the country over alleged human rights abuses there. Read more here.

Logistics managers face big challenges as tech and environmental impacts grow

lloydsloadinglist.com
Governments have “finally properly understood the link between the health of the supply chain and health of their economies”, because of its role in recovery from the pandemic and the challenges it has faced, according to James Hookham, secretary general of the Global Shippers Forum. Read more here.