Newsletter – February 10, 2021

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

‘Slight softening’ in air cargo load factors in sight with slack retail demand

seanews.com.tr
GLOBAL airlines have continued to report high load factors, with the last two weeks of January showing a new ‘peak’, but the market is now reporting, anecdotally, a slight softening.
While load factors last month were up 9 percentage points, year on year, for the past fortnight they were up 10-15 percentage points year on year, according to Clive Data Services. Read more here.

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

China – New Handling Procedure for Yangtze River Delta Area

hapag-lloyd.com
We would like to inform you that with effect from 22nd February 2021, Hapag-Lloyd will introduce a new YRD handling procedure from Chongqing to Wuhan. The scope is for both import/export shipments to Wuhan, Changde, Changsha, Huangshi, Jingzhou, Jiujiang (JX), Nanchang, Yichang and Yueyang. Read more here.

Revision of Free Time – Mainland China

hapag-lloyd.com
Please be informed that with effect from March 15, 2021, our free time for China shipments (not inclusive of Hong Kong and Taiwan) will be revised as per below summary. Read more here.

Ports expected to keep breaking records through spring

insidelogistics.ca
Following a record year during 2020, imports at the largest retail container ports in the United States are expected to set new monthly records from now into the summer as the U.S. economy continues to recover from the pandemic. Read more here.

Update on Labour Negotiations between Port of Montreal Longshoremen’s Union and Maritime Employers Association

ciffa.com
CIFFA has learned the following details about ongoing negotiations between the Port of Montreal Longshoremen’s Union and the Maritime Employers Association.
Both parties have received a letter from the Federal Minister of Labour asking for 14 days of blitz negotiations.
The federal government has hired Peter Simpson as mediator.
CIFFA understands that there have been three days of meetings between the parties and the new mediators – February 6th, 7th and 8th.
While the priority remains a signed collective agreement before the end of the truce on March 21st, in order to comply with the truce concluded on August 21st, 2020, the parties involved cannot comment on the negotiations.

Container giant Maersk sees no letup yet in COVID-fueled cargo boom

freightwaves.com
For container lines, it just keeps getting better and better. Demand is hitting new highs with every passing quarter. For besieged cargo shippers struggling with overwhelmed supply chains, it just keeps getting worse and worse. Their question is: When will the COVID-induced demand surge finally peak, allowing shipping services to return to normal?
The answer from Maersk, the world’s largest container line operator, is: Definitely not in the first quarter of this year, maybe in the second quarter — but then again, we’ve never lived through a pandemic before, so maybe even later. Read more here.

CANADA BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

Air Canada Continues To Cut Routes & Jobs

simpleflying.com
Air Canada announced Tuesday that it would be cutting 17 more transborder and international routes. As a result, the carrier will temporarily lay off another 1,500 staff. This will bring the total of airline job cuts in Canada since the start of the new year up to 5,000. Unions are not happy with the lack of aid from the Canadian government. Read more here.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS- GOVERNMENT UPDATES

BDO: 22% of companies plan to reshore to US

freightwaves.com
While optimism is returning to the economy, 83% of U.S.-based chief financial officers (CFOs) expect their company to take up to a year to recover, according to the 2021 BDO Manufacturing CFO Outlook Survey.
Of the 100 CFOs polled for the survey, 24% also said they plan to relocate their supply chains to another country in 2021, with the U.S. topping locations manufacturers saw as the most stable market to source materials. Read more here.