A bit of an unlikely question for Australians, right? Wrong. Or, at least, it could well be wrong in the not-too-distant future.
Europe-Asia… and thence to Australia
About 15 per cent of all of Australia’s containerised cargo comes from / goes to Europe. Containers are normally transhipped into / out of Australia via Singapore or Port Klang...
https://shippingaustralia.com.au/will-a-ship-carrying-australian-cargo-get-stuck-in-ice/
An emerging trend of shippers switching from their established container carriers to other shipping solutions appears to be gaining ground.
And to meet growing demand, multipurpose operator AAL Shipping has cemented its capacity offering on its Europe-Middle East/Indian subcontinent-Far East liner service.
The company said yesterday six 31,000 dwt multipurpose vessels (MPVs) it has on long-term charter were being deployed full-time on the service.
The firm said there was “growing popularity...
https://theloadstar.com/aal-service-goes-full-time-as-demand-for-multipurpose-offering-grows/
European shippers are finding it increasingly difficult to begin annual contract negotiations with container shipping lines.
November is the traditional start of the annual contract negotiating season on the Asia-Europe trade, with deals mostly signed by the end of the year.
However, after the astonishing gains on a spot market which grew another 9% this week, it appears the relationship between carriers and their customers could be fundamentally different in 2021.
Anecdotal reports …
The post Ca...
https://theloadstar.com/carriers-bullish-as-shipping-contract-talks-loom-it-wont-be-a-buyers-market/
With shippers facing skyrocketing container freight rates and premium fees across main and secondary trades, ocean carriers are now pummelling their customers with a mass of equipment imbalance and intermodal surcharges.
The strategy of carriers is to get as many boxes back to Asia in the shortest possible time to take advantage of exceptionally strong demand and record high rates, and to do so it is hitting shippers with extra costs.
The …
The post Double-whammy for shippers: record rates and...
https://theloadstar.com/double-whammy-for-shippers-record-rates-and-surcharge-surges/
Changes to Asia-North Europe service networks, a knock-on from carriers’ aggressive blanking programmes, are “playing havoc” with the container supply chain, according to industry stakeholders.
With both 2M and THE alliance members having suspended loops to October, carriers are merging itineraries or adding extra calls on remaining loops to cover commitments.
However, the resulting disruption for importers and exporters from changes in container pick-up and delivery points has added extra...
https://theloadstar.com/shippers-being-held-to-ransom-as-blanked-sailings-and-feeder-problems-bite/
The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) is set to lose over $10m in revenue from container lines routing vessels via the Cape of Good Hope rather than its waterway.
According to new Alphaliner research, “the number of containerships that have opted to use the Cape route and bypass the Suez Canal has risen to a historic peace-time high,” including at least 20 sailings on the Asia-Europe, Europe-Asia and North America east coast-Asia …
The post Lines using cheaper Cape of Good Hope route will cost Suez...
https://theloadstar.com/lines-using-cheaper-cape-of-good-hope-route-will-cost-suez-canal-10m/
North European exporters to Asia are paying the price of the extensive headhaul blank sailing programmes of ocean carriers.
Rates are skyrocketing on the route as they scramble for space.
According to the latest assessment by freight rate benchmarking platform Xeneta, short-term 40ft rates from North Europe have hit a high of $2,000, from a low of $500 in January, as shippers “fight for space” on the few export vessels with port …
The post Europe-Asia ocean rates hit new heights as exporters...
Freight forwarders sending goods out of Europe to Asia face one of the tightest capacity crunches in living memory over the next few weeks.
CMA CGM is set to blank 23 North Europe-Asia sailings from now until 2 June, after last week announcing three further deepsea sailings in the middle of this month had been cancelled, “due to recent demand slowdown in the context of the coronavirus situation”.
This month alone, 15 …
The post Historic capacity crunch looms as more Europe-Asia sailings are...
https://theloadstar.com/historic-capacity-crunch-looms-as-more-europe-asia-sailings-are-blanked/
CMA CGM has announced that it will increase its 40ft FAK rate from North Europe to Asia to $850 from 1 November.
The first adjustment this year by the French carrier of its backhaul rates could coincide with what European exporters fear: a severe capacity crunch as a consequence of the vast number of blanked westbound voyages this month.
These were a result of the Chinese Golden Week factory shutdown this week …
The post Shippers nervous as new Europe-Asia container capacity crunch looms...
https://theloadstar.com/shippers-nervous-as-new-europe-asia-container-capacity-crunch-looms/