Key insights:
Asia-US rates:
Analysis
Authorities in Shanghai are set to begin the reopening process on June 1st. In the meantime, with manufacturing still restricted, transpacific ocean rates continued to fall. Asia - US West Coast rates fell 18% this week to $11,455/FEU and are 28% lower than at the start of the lockdown in late March. Asia - North Europe prices are now only 15% higher than this time last year, and about level with prices in June 2021.
Most in the industry are expecting pent up demand to send a surge of ocean exports towards destination ports like LA/Long Beach when manufacturing in Shanghai rebounds. And with about 30 ships currently waiting for a berth, congestion levels at LA/Long Beach – though well below those seen at the start of the year – are already significant.
But authorities at US ports are hopeful that lessons learned and adjustments made over the last two years will make this next possible wave less disruptive. The ports of LA/Long Beach, for example, are reportedly considering implementing a long-threatened penalty on import containers that aren’t moved promptly off the container yards.
With many retailers bringing in peak season goods early to get ahead of possible delays like last year’s, warehousing space is also already scarce in many places.
At the same time, consumers shifting away from big ticket household items like furniture and appliances is leading to excess inventory for some types of goods. This trend is another factor clogging up warehouses and threatening to back up incoming containers to the ports if import volumes spike.
Today, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), joined by several port leaders at a White House event, celebrated almost $150 million in grants from the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA)…
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