Newsletter – January 6, 2021

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

Air freight ends 2020 on a ‘relative high’

lloydsloadinglist.com
After an extraordinarily turbulent year and despite “no traditional peak season” for global air cargo demand in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2020, the year ended on a “relative high” in December with the first positive year-on-year growth in weekly volumes in over 12 months, according to the latest industry statistics and analysis from CLIVE Data Services and TAC Index.  Read more here.

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Slow progress cleaning up containers aboard ONE Apus

maritime-executive.com
The process of removing collapsed container stacks from the boxship ONE Apus is under way at the port of Kobe, Japan, but the work is moving slowly, according to Japanese operator Ocean Network Express (ONE).
In late November, the ONE Apus was under way from Yantian, China to Long Beach, California when it encountered a storm about 1,600 nautical miles northwest of Hawaii. Read more here.

Fewer blanked sailings over Chinese New Year 2021 than ever before

theloadstar.com
Container carriers are expected to provide more deepsea capacity out of Asia over the Chinese New Year holiday, beginning 12 February, than in any other year.
Announced blank sailings for what is normally shipping’s slack season are far fewer this year than previously, according to data from liner database eeSea’s Blank Sailings Tracker. Read more here.

‘Slidings’, port omissions and short-notice network changes replace blanking

theloadstar.com
Scheduling ‘slidings’, ad-hoc port omissions and short-notice network structural changes are replacing blankings as the new challenges for shippers in 2021.
The latest advisory on “service adjustments” comes from 2M partners Maersk and MSC, relating to the transpacific tradelane.
MSC said it had decided to make some “additional structural changes” on its transpacific network until further notice. Read more here.

Shippers and forwarders claim carriers breach contracts to demand higher rates

theloadstar.com
As Asia-Europe container spot rates continue to skyrocket, shippers and freight forwarders are accusing carriers of breaching short- and long-term contracts to “charge whatever they want”.
In a joint letter to the Competition Directorate of the European Commission (EC), the European Freight Forwarders Association (CLECAT) and European Shippers’ Council (ESC) have protested about the “damage” the carriers’ behaviour is “causing to trade growth at a time of economic recession”. Read more here.

CANADA BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

Quebec manufacturers warn against lockdown to stop Covid spread

insidelogistics.ca
MONTREAL – Quebec’s manufacturing association is warning about major damage to the sector should the province impose a strict COVID-19 lockdown similar to what occurred last spring.
Veronique Proulx, CEO of Manufacturiers et Exportateurs du Quebec, reacted Tuesday to multiple media reports saying Premier Francois Legault is set to close non-essential manufacturing businesses to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Read more here.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

Demand and Covid mean China’s factories will vary closures over new year

theloadstar.com
There is a great deal of uncertainty over supply and demand on the Asia-EU tradelane over Chinese New Year, according to forwarders.
Generally, factories in China close for the duration of the holiday, this year from 12-26 February, but 2021 looks like it could be different, with varying closure dates across the country. Read more here.