By Reade Pickert (Bloomberg) –A measure of U.S. manufacturing expanded in September at the fastest pace in four months, bolstered by robust demand for factory goods and burgeoning inventory. The Institute…
container shortage
DOT opens probe into container, chassis shortages
The Biden administration is asking a “broad range of stakeholders” involved with moving freight to help solve the country’s container and intermodal chassis shortages while also trying to alleviate supply chain chokepoints.
In an information request to be posted in the Federal Register on Thursday, the U.S. Department of Transportation wants to get public comment on current challenges faced by the freight and logistics sector, including:
- Current and potential future shortages and/or distribution...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/dot-opens-probe-into-container-chassis-shortages
Australia’s Exporters Continue To Face Increased Shipping Delays And Costs
By Sam Whelan (Loadstar)–Australia’s agricultural exporters are losing business because of increasing shipping delays and costs, prompting fresh calls for tighter regulation of container carriers. For example, according to a new…
MSC To Increase Its Peak Season Surcharge Between Europe And US
By Mike Wackett, Loadstar–MSC is to increase its peak season surcharge (PSS) between Europe and the US by $1,000 per 40ft on 1 October. The Geneva-headquartered carrier said its PSS on the…
One Stuck Box of Fertilizer Shows the Global Supply Chain Crisis
By Ann KohAug (Bloomberg) — Somewhere in the world’s busiest port of Shanghai, a container of fertilizer sits among tens of thousands of boxes, waiting for a ride to the U.S….
Beef Accumulating In Ports Due To Lack of Refrigerated Containers
By Ken Parks (Bloomberg) –Global shipping disruptions and drought-stricken rivers in the heart of South America threaten to pinch meat exports from two major beef-producing nations as rising food prices stoke…
Dire Shortage Of Containers Amid Other Setbacks Are Impacting Coffee Supplies
By Mai Ngoc Chau (Bloomberg)–World coffee supplies are suffering a fresh setback from stringent travel curbs imposed in second-biggest grower Vietnam to control the worsening spread of the infectious delta variant…
August to be record for retail imports, NRF says
The National Retail Federation is calling for the start of peak season to kick off with a bang. The group sees imports to the nation’s largest retail container ports increasing 12.6% year-over-year in August to 2.37 million twenty-foot equivalent units, ahead of the recent monthly record established in May of 2.33 million.
“August is the beginning of the ‘peak season,’ when retailers stock up on holiday merchandise each year,” the report stated. “Many retailers are moving up their shipments this...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/august-to-be-record-for-retail-imports-nrf-says
Shipper to Congress: Inflation ‘rampant’ through supply chain
Congress received an on-the-ground report from an industrial shipper on how rapid price increases for goods and services can be traced directly to bottlenecks in the supply chain.
Testifying before the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday, William Taylor, CEO of Taylor Group, a heavy equipment manufacturer, told lawmakers that delays in inbound deliveries from freight carriers and rapidly increasing transportation rates have forced the company to boost prices he charges to customers.
“The supply...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/shipper-to-congress-inflation-rampant-through-supply-chain
Disunified chassis leasing system exacerbates port congestion
The ongoing container shortage and port congestion is becoming old news. Freight income per TEU is higher than ever due to the COVID-spurred consumer demand for goods. The industry is seeing a large number of blank sailings, not for lack of cargo, but because the containers sit in waiting for so long, they lose their place in the rotation.
“If your product isn’t in the U.S. by the end of October, you’ve hurt your ability to maximize holiday sales,” FreightWaves Senior Retail Analyst Andrew Cox...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/disunified-chassis-leasing-system-exacerbates-port-congestion