Newsletter – November 29, 2021

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

Air freight ‘super peak’ season ex-Asia set to last until Chinese New Year

lloydsloadlinglist.com
Air freight’s Far East westbound (FEWB) ‘super-peak’ season is set to last until Chinese New Year. And with little prospect of an improvement in capacity on the horizon, any significant change in the current elevated level of rates is unlikely, according to a leading forwarder. Read more here.

British Airways Suspends Flights To Hong Kong

simpleflyling.com
British Airways has suspended flights between the United Kingdom and Hong Kong after crew members tested positive for COVID-19. On November 20 and then again on November 27, two BA crew members on flight number BA027 tested positive for the virus. Read more here.

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

South China feeder services set for decline, thanks to harsh Covid restrictions

theloadstar.com
China’s quarantine rules for seafarers are set to cause a big drop in Pearl River Delta feeder capacity in the run-up to Chinese New Year (CNY) in February.
Both ONE and Hapag-Lloyd have issued advisories warning of disruption from late December to mid-February, after feeder operators announced service suspensions due to a lack of crew. Read more here.

Terminal ties ease congestion delays for lines

lloydsloadinglist.com
Container lines with ties to or equity stakes in terminals are facing far fewer delays on the US west coast than those without in most cases.
Average waiting times for berths for vessels accessing Long Beach and Los Angeles terminals has risen to 18 days, but according to an analysis by Alphaliner, some vessels are able to get through to terminals far faster. Read more here.

Japanese reefer crashes into breakwater and spills oil in Hakata Port

splash247.com
Panama-flagged reefer Lady Rosemary, owned by Japan’s Doun Kisen, collided with the breakwater and spilled oil while exiting the Japanese Hakata Port in Fukuoka.
The incident took place last night at around 23.45 hrs local time with 22 crewmembers onboard, all reported safe. The cause of the accident is unknown, however, a mistake in maneuvering is suspected. Local media reported that there were no waves and visibility was good at the time of the accident. Read more here.

GROUND AND RAIL FREIGHT UPDATES

CP B.C. Update  – Sunday

ciffa.com
CP train movements in B.C. have continued since the restoration of service last Tuesday, though the situation remains fluid with the weekend’s rains.
Operations on Sunday were stopped along CP’s Cascade subdivision south of Boston Bar, B.C. as crews performed work to ensure a stable road bed. CP expected that work to be completed on Sunday and for train movements to resume yesterday evening.

CN’s Main Link to Port of Vancouver Remained Closed Last Week

ciffa.com
CN’s main link to the Port of Vancouver remained closed as of late Thursday, nearly two weeks after devastating flooding and landslides shut it down, the Canadian railway said.
CN had expected to resume limited service on the Vancouver-Kamloops corridor on Wednesday. However, it now will remain out of service “until all work is completed” due to new weather-related issues, CN said.
The railway resumed service between Prince George and Vancouver on Thursday. But the continued shutdown of the Kamloops corridor will slow the resumption of normal operations at the port. Read more here (login required).

Mexican regulators approve CP-KCS merger

freightwaves.com
The Mexican Federal Economic Competition Commission and the Mexican Federal Telecommunications Institute have given regulatory approval of the proposed merger between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern, both companies announced Friday.
CP and KCS needed approval from Mexican regulators because KCS has operations in Mexico.
“This important milestone marks the next step on our path to creating the first single-line rail network linking the U.S., Mexico and Canada,” said CP President and CEO Keith Creel in a statement. Read more here (login required).

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

New customs requirements for Mexico shipments begin Wednesday

freightwaves.com
Hoping to quell a rising tide of smuggled goods and lost tax revenue, Mexico’s controversial new waybill regulations — known as the Carta Porte supplement — is scheduled to go into effect Wednesday.
The regulations from the Mexican Tax Authority (SAT) aim to reduce cargo theft and the movement of contraband throughout the country. The SAT also estimates that Mexican authorities are losing as much as $7 billion a year on uncollected taxes from smuggled goods. Read more here (login required).