The shirts on our backs

Himatsingka appoints Import Services as logistics partner for the UK region

Himatsingka is pleased to appoint Import Services as its logistics partner in the UK to provide retail supply chain services across their distribution network.
The partnership enables Himatsingka to take full advantage of Import Services’ new Container Port facility at Southampton Container Port, UK. This location expands by another 30,000 pallets in June this year, providing a real edge in terms of speed to market from a bonded port-centric location, for …

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More misery for apparel houses as air freight rates ex-Bangladesh double

Air freight rates out of Bangladesh have doubled in recent months, spiked by a severe capacity crunch due to coronavirus-linked operational suspensions and growing demand.
Shippers are now paying twice pre-pandemic rates for expedited shipments, which they describe as a “big burden in this challenging period”.
To carry goods to European airports, air cargo operators are charging more than $3.65 per kg, compared with $1.80 in March last year, and $6.20/kg to …

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Bangladesh authorities agree cost-saving round-trip container use

After calls from shippers, the Bangladesh government has approved the round-trip use of containers, which is expected to cut lead times and transport costs significantly.
Lead times remain a major concern for Bangladeshi shippers, especially in the apparel sector with their main destinations being western countries. Bangladesh is the second-largest apparel exporter in the world.
Initially, round-trip container use will be allowed for factories at export processing zones (EPZs), but is expected …

https://theloadstar.com/bangladesh-authorities-agree-cost-saving-round-trip-container-use/

Bangladesh garment sector hit by 87% plunge in exports through Chittagong

Bangladesh’s import and export volumes in April nosedived as the coronavirus pandemic took hold, new data shows.
Last month, export volumes through Chittagong port fell 87% and imports were down 22% – a crippling blow for the impoverished South Asian nation of 160m people.
According to figures from Chittagong Customs House, April saw 1.24m tonnes of goods exported through the port, compared with over 2.89m tonnes in April last year. And 6.65m …

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Fashion moves too fast for stranded imports: retailers must discount or destroy

Germany’s fashion retailers may be forced to discount stock to avoid being flooded by a wave of imports, according to a new study.
German software house Setlog surveyed 100 fashion retailers that operate its OSCA system, and found them desperate for intermediate storage solutions, with warehouses and port container yards at near-capacity.
Setlog said most were simply delaying the pick-up of import containers and the return of empty boxes, and found that …

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‘Move boxes to private yards’ plea as Chittagong congestion worsens

Bangladesh customs authorities have allowed logistics operators to shift a further six types of goods in containers to private off-docks in a bid to reduce the number of containers in Chittagong’s yards.
The authority have also asked importers to redirect Dhaka Rail Inland Container Depot-bound containers to a private box terminal near the capital by waterways.
The measures are a bid to reduce the number of containers in Chittagong port yard, which …

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Coronavirus a fashion supply chain disaster

Virtually no sector is safe from the supply chain disruption emanating from China and the outbreak of the coronavirus. In the case of the apparel and clothing vertical, there is a double whammy – not only is China the largest garment producer in the world, it is also one of the most important material sourcing locations, and both channels are likely to see substantial production delays, reports Quartz. “China is …

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Bangladesh shippers hard hit by low-sulphur bunker fuel surcharges

Shippers in Bangladesh sending a 40ft container from Chittagong to the deepsea transhipment hubs of Colombo and Singapore must pay a $100 per  box bunker adjustment factor (BAF) low-sulphur surcharge.
“Some operators have been collecting the surcharge since December and some in January to adjust the fuel oil price hike,” said Iqbal Hassan, general manager of local ship agency and customs brokerage QC Shipping.
He added that from Chittagong to Europe and the …

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Kerry appoints industry veteran John Parkes MD for integrated logistics

Kerry Logistics has appointed John Parkes (pictured above) as its managing director for integrated logistics.
Mr Parkes joins from Hong Kong apparel sourcing and supply china giant Li & Fung, where he spent four years as global business development head for Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Although the bulk of his 35-year career has been spent at Li & Fung, he boasts a varied CV. This includes stints at Freightlink as general manager of …

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Marc Porta to lead Kerry subsidiaries in Spain and Portugal

Kerry Logistics has appointed Marc Porta (pictured above) as managing director of its subsidiaries in Spain and Portugal.
Based in Barcelona, Mr Porta will be responsible for driving the business development strategy in the two countries, “focusing on integrated and end-to-end supply chain solutions”.
Mathieu Biron, managing director of global freight forwarding at Kerry, said: “Marc is an experienced logistics professional and it is fundamental to our business strategy that we have …

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