Please see below a general update on the state of shipping from certain countries. If you would like more detailed information or updates on different shipping routes please do not hesitate to contact us.

China:
We hope everyone has a fantastic Lunar New Year.

With China back on deck the shipping has started with a bang. There is still substantial amount of movements with the backlog from prior to CNY. We have seen rates either hold at current rates or in some cases continuing to increase even after CNY.

The issue of equipment and space imbalance continues to cause delays in some ports however on a whole movements from China are stable although the rate is still high.
We have seen specific ports being subject to COVID restrictions and there is no doubt this will continue.

USA:
Unfortunately the USA is not looking as positive as China. With Winter hitting the northern parts of the USA and congestion still being felt throughout all ports there is still substantial delays with the movement of goods.

Most ports have now introduced as surcharge for containers staying on the port too long however all this has done is moved the bottleneck backwards towards the rail and transport providers.

Covid is also having a large effect on truck drivers and warehouse staff which again all leads to delays and additional costs.
We are working with a number of partners to determine the most appropriate port and routing for our clients goods. We continue to stress there is delays however let us know your timelines and we will work with the partners, carriers and local transport to provide the best solutions possible.

Europe:

Europe is a very mixed bag depending on the country which you are shipping. There is between 2-4 week delays in getting bookings however certain ports provide bookings immediately.

As with the USA, winter weather has hit a number of the countries causing delays with transit times. We are working with a number of partners to make sure your goods move in the best possible way.

India:
India has seen a reduction in COVID cases and our partners are now back in the office and are fully staffed. The ports are much the same and the country is getting back to full capacity.

The shipping lines are being very difficult with India. The lines require online bookings only which can delay the booking process and space allocation.
The imbalance between supply and demand is still very prevalent and a number of shipping lines are not accepting heavy containers so as to maximise what they are loading on their vessels.

Notwithstanding the above we have had more success getting bookings from India and moving freight into Australia. The destination port may need to be slightly flexible but the movement of freight is happening and we are securing space.

As with the rest of the world the rates are still high an will be for some time to come.

If you need any more information please do not hesitate to contact us and we look forward to further assisting you in 2022.