NORTH AMERICAN EXPORTERS HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME SCHEDULING OCEAN FREIGHT TO FAR EAST
North American exporters are having a hard time scheduling ocean transportation to the Far East. Industry experts indicate that shipping lines are thriving with huge Asian cargo volumes bound for the U.S. West Coast. Unfortunately, North American export trade is secondary and is often a step-child for ocean cargo services.
Because of willingness to pay high rates, goods imported to Washington State from the Far East, shipping lines are profiting nicely. As a result, for exporters, vessel schedules have been unreliable.
The Washington Apple Committee has heard from grower-members that there are huge challenges in getting space onboard container ships. To help that situation, Melanie Stambaugh, of the Northwest Seaport Alliance, which represents the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, said her group’s imports are up 25% this year.
In April exports from Seattle and Tacoma were down 11%, indicating that Seattle and Tacoma “are trying to incentivize exports.” The ports are finding unused dock warehouses that can hold perishable products until a shipping opportunity arises. If exporters have a place to hold their products it alleviates the extra transportation cost of running back and forth between their own warehouse and the port.
Source: ajot.com
Related News
31/03
2022
The Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) has announced a container "land-to-water” service, covering the ports in the Yangshan area and Waigaoqiao area of Shanghai Port to related ports in the Yangtze River and Yangtze River Delta areas.
19/12
2023
Drought in Panama and war around the Red Sea and Suez is a slow-burning but developing crisis for the container shipping industry as both canals become choke points that could see freight rates double.
18/06
2021
According to shipping, port and logistics industry analyst Jon Monroe, we are seeing a flurry of new container services entering the Trans-Pacific route. Two new services from BAL and CU Lines, although small and irregular, will call at Southern California ports from China in the coming weeks. "New shipping lines can be expected, as rates have risen to historically high levels," he says.