Sea-air and coastal shipping look more viable for cargo heading down under

Shippers should consider options such as air-sea cargo and coastal shipping to send goods to Australia and New Zealand.
According to CH Robinson, it’s vital to explore a variety of transport modes to keep supply chains moving.
Andrew Coldrey, CH Robinson’s vice president for Oceania, said: “The airfreight market is fluid and changing daily, therefore it may be beneficial for international goods to be transported using both air and ocean shipping.”
Indeed, forwarders …

The post Sea-air and...

https://theloadstar.com/sea-air-and-coastal-shipping-look-more-viable-for-cargo-heading-down-under/

Chinese manufacturers cut container production to hold prices as demand falls

For the first time in a decade, the world container fleet is likely to be getting smaller, in the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
New research from Drewry Maritime Advisors suggests that, despite warnings from freight service providers that global maritime supply chains are likely to come under increasing pressure due to a shortage of equipment, it appears Chinese box manufacturers have substantially cut production to maintain prices.
According to Drewry, global …

The post Chinese...

https://theloadstar.com/chinese-manufacturers-cut-container-production-to-hold-prices-as-demand-falls/

May Day could be a cry for help from carriers, as another holiday looms

The five-day May Day holiday shutdown in China is adding to capacity adjustment problems for ocean carriers.
Notwithstanding the 20% of headhaul Asia-North Europe sailings already cancelled next month, carriers are still struggling to best match supply with ever-weakening demand and to avoid the ‘nightmare’ scenario of half-full 20,000 teu ULCVs arriving in North European hub ports in June and July.
A carrier source told The Loadstar last week their biggest fear …

The post May Day could be a cry...

https://theloadstar.com/may-day-could-be-a-cry-for-help-from-carriers-as-another-holiday-looms/

Supply chain radar: Hapag-Lloyd up over 300% in a year – not even Netflix does that

“Seen the price of Hapag-Lloyd today?” one source asked towards the end of the trading session on Friday, when the shares of the German carrier traded over €120 apiece.
You read it right: €120. That’s about $24bn in market cap, a near-30% premium against the value of Maersk’s container shipping assets PLUS all the other operations under its umbrella (terminals, logistics, towage and so forth).
“Klaus-Michael Kuehne is a genius” was my …

The post Supply chain radar: Hapag-Lloyd up over 300% in a...

https://theloadstar.com/supply-chain-radar-hapag-lloyd-up-over-300-in-a-year-not-even-netflix-does-that/

On the wires: Kuehne + Nagel – a beacon in the storm

“The coronavirus pandemic is an immense global challenge, also for Kuehne + Nagel. (…) In the case of basic commodities and pharmaceuticals, transport volumes were maintained at a respectable level. Our company will face major challenges in the coming months, but is well positioned in view of its customer proximity, agility and digital offerings. A high level of liquidity characterises the company’s solid financial strength”.
– Kuehne + Nagel (K+N) CEO …

The post On the wires: Kuehne + Nagel – a...

https://theloadstar.com/on-the-wires-kuehne-nagel-a-beacon-in-the-storm/

Tight airfreight capacity will hamper post-coronavirus recovery – DHL chief

The Wall Street Journal has published an interview with DHL’s Frank Appel, who is looking at the next stage of the Covid challenge. He predicts that air freight capacity won’t keep up with demand when it returns, and says supply chains will have to take longer.
He said customers should “think about their supply chain and they will take more lead times for the inventory, if they have enough in stock, …

The post Tight airfreight capacity will hamper post-coronavirus recovery – DHL chief appeared...

https://theloadstar.com/tight-airfreight-capacity-will-hamper-post-coronavirus-recovery-dhl-chief/

K+N reports tough first quarter, with turnover and profits down, but stays bullish

Kuehne + Nagel (K+N) is one of the first major forwarders to report Covid-impacted results, so is likely to act as something of a marker for others in what will undoubtedly be a tough quarter.
The Swiss group admitted that volumes declined sharply in its first quarter, with net turnover down 6.2%, gross profit down 5.1% and earnings down 23.2% at Sfr139m ($142.7m).
“The coronavirus pandemic is an immense global challenge,” said …

The post K+N reports tough first quarter, with turnover and...

https://theloadstar.com/kn-reports-tough-first-quarter-with-turnover-and-profits-down-but-stays-bullish/

Uncleared import boxes clogging India’s ports being used as ‘free warehousing’

There seems no end in sight to the congestion choking India’s ports.
According to the Container Shipping Lines Association of India (CSLA), tens of thousands of uncleared import containers are clogging supply chains amid the nationwide coronavirus lockdown.
CSLA executive director Sunil Vaswani said only 26,000 teu had been cleared from container freight stations (CFSs) near Mumbai’s Jawaharlal Nehru port, leaving more than 100,000 teu lying uncollected.
“Similarly, about 50,000 teu is lying …

Th...

https://theloadstar.com/uncleared-import-boxes-clogging-indias-ports-being-used-as-free-warehousing/

Market Insight: Ceva & the Big Four – riding the job cuts rumour wave

Wondering what’s coming ahead of an earnings season that, for all of us asset-light transport and logistics addicts, frantically opens on Monday with Kuehne + Nagel’s first-quarter (Q1) trading update?
Everybody is projecting to Q2 ’20 results and we are already mid-way through. It looks like being a terrible second quarter with many rumoured job cuts. The latest concern furloughed employees and likely upcoming corporate casualties are high on the agenda, …

The post Market Insight: Ceva & the...

https://theloadstar.com/market-insight-ceva-the-big-four-riding-the-job-cuts-rumour-wave/

Container spot rates from Asia holding steady, despite carrier shortcomings

Ocean carriers are succeeding in propping up container spot rates from Asia, partly due to poorly communicated blanking programmes creating uncertainty for shippers.
Several have complained to The Loadstar that they receive late, confusing and often conflicting advice from carriers on blank sailings – even from container lines in the same alliance.
Moreover, shippers are finding that, where bookings are being rolled onto other loops, those services are not necessarily discharging their …

The...

https://theloadstar.com/container-spot-rates-from-asia-holding-steady-despite-carrier-shortcomings/

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