Shanghai to return to normal in June? Let’s hope so…
Shanghai is aiming to reopen the city and business operations, with normal life resuming from the 1st June, as all 16 city districts report acceptably reduced ‘zero-COVID’ cases.
At a press briefing on Monday, Shanghai’s Vice Mayor announced that 15 of Shanghai’s 16...
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Shipping lines act to support rates by cancelling sailings from Asia
Across the major shipping trade lanes a total of 56 sailings have been blanked over the next four weeks - so far - representing an 8% cancellation rate.
The halting of factory production, following the continuing lockdown in Shanghai, is resulting in a drop in export bookings from China, ...
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Importers from EU risking fines and worse
The EU introduced full import controls at the end of the Brexit transition period, while the UK government has now delayed full import control four times, with concerns rising that UK importers are not making appropriate declarations, risking fines and penalties.
The UK government’s own...
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China supply chain pressures relentless
Despite talk of restarting manufacturing and a tiered reopening of Shanghai and the surrounding province, the situation remains challenging and delays are increasing in Ningbo as the volume of cargo diverted from Shanghai continues to grow.
The Shanghai lockdown remains for a fifth week, ...
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Ukraine invasion drives timber prices up and pallet supply down
The European Pallet Association (EPAL) and the European Federation of Wooden Pallet and Packaging Manufacturers (FEFPEB) have warned of a shortage of wooden pallets and packaging that is already being felt.
The war in Ukraine and the shutdown of production is having serious consequences for Eu...
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EU/UK border controls set for July put back again
The UK government has again delayed the introduction of further border controls on goods from the EU, due for implementation from July, pushing them back until the end of 2023, suggesting it did not want to add more costs at a time of fast-rising inflation.
New import controls, including on EU...
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Blanked Shanghai sailings slow to materialise
As Shanghai enters the fourth week of an indefinite lockdown, container shipping lines are skipping calls at main Shanghai terminals, with more blank sailings anticipated as vessels waiting at Chinese ports double.
Until the lockdown situation is resolved, which appears challenging when puttin...
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US east coast port congestion continues to build
Reacting to fears of labour disputes and disruption at west coast ports, many US importers diverted cargo from Asia to the east coast – only to find that Atlantic congestion may be worse than on the Pacific.
Importers on the west coast are getting their cargo quicker than their peers on the ...
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COVID update: Shanghai lockdown impact
China’s economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter, expanding 4.8%, but the risk of a sharp slowdown over coming months has risen as Shanghai’s lockdown is extended indefinitely and further COVID-19 curbs may follow.
Nearly all of Shanghai is now under lockdown, with most res...
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April global logistics update; Five key supply chain disruptors
Since the early days of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted global supply chains, creating shortages of goods, even though ships, trains, trucks and planes continued to run, to the best of their ability.
The infrastructure that supports global supply chain operations has struggled to abs...
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Sea freight challenges in India and Sri Lanka
Leading container shipping line MSC is reducing Indian ports of call, in order to sustain a weekly sailing frequency on major commercial routes.
As the shipping line struggles to sustain a weekly sailing frequency on major commercial routes, Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) is reducing Indian p...
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USA west coast ports fear chaos as labour negotiations loom
Negotiations for a new labour contract with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), are due to start on the 12th of May and shippers are already sourcing products from Asia earlier than normal and directing more cargo to US East Coast and Gulf terminals, to avoid potential port ch...
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