Supply Chain Research

Supply Chain Edge: Consumer slowdown is slowing down

May 15, 2023

US seaborne imports of containerized freight fell for the ninth straight month in April, led by a 24% slide in consumer goods shipments. However, the rate of decline is slowing. Destocking, which may have gone too far for some apparel firms, and slower sales are likely drivers. Seasonal patter... Read more →

Supply Chain Edge: Slower, steadier and smoother

April 14, 2023

Evidence from US seaborne imports shows that supply chain activity continues to slow, further reducing pressure on supply chains. US containerized imports fell by nearly a quarter in March versus a year earlier, led by consumer durable goods. The S&P Global PMI for manufacturing supplier deliv... Read more →

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Illuminating shipping: Indian solar supplies drive volume growth

March 8, 2023

The collapse in ocean shipping is leading container lines to rearrange their services and differentiate rate changes by route. Shipments from India to the US are expanding rapidly while those from mainland China are falling. The increase in shipments from India has been led by electrical and e... Read more →

ZIM Shipping, MSC face attention in FMC’s surcharge inquiry

August 6, 2021

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission has launched an “expedited inquiry” into port congestion charges, targeting eight container shipping which represented 50.2% of U.S. seaborne imports of containerized freight in Q2’21. That follows: a surge in “freight all kinds” (pre-surcharge) rates; a wi... Read more →

Inflation focus hits 10-year high as import prices, shipping costs soar

July 15, 2021

U.S. import prices have continued their rapid ascent, with inflation excluding food and fuels reaching 6.4% year over year in June and 6.1% when comparing to June 2019. Prices of key materials have continued to increase as have shipping costs. Average U.S.-inbound container shipping rates reac... Read more →

Few routes safe from surcharges as CMA CGM hikes India-Mexico rate

July 7, 2021

The range of container shipping routes becoming subject to peak season surcharges is widening with CMA CGM applying extra charges for shipments from India and Pakistan to Central America. Exports from India to Central America increased by 13.8% in April 2021 versus April 2019 and are dominated... Read more →

Q3’21 Outlook: The fallout from underinvestment in logistics

July 5, 2021

The outlook for the logistics sector in the rest of 2021 will be defined by the reduced rate of investment of the past three years. Many ports are still operating at close to peak-season levels, reducing their ability to debottleneck before the forthcoming peak in early Q4’21. U.S. seaborne im... Read more →

A ‘zillion’ calls and $20,000 – Container shipping rate update, June 2021

June 30, 2021

Container shipping rates for routes out of Asia hit record highs in June as a result of disruptions to exports from southern China which exacerbated a shortage of equipment in the region and cost knock-on congestion at other ports in the region. S&P Global Platts’s Freight All Kinds (basic) ra... Read more →

Starbucks, Constellation Brands may face CMA CGM’s Oakland surcharge

June 22, 2021

CMA CGM has imposed a Port Congestion Surcharge of $250 per container for shipments into the Port of Oakland, California from ports in Central and South America. Congestion has built up in part because of diverted services by CMA CGM and others to Oakland from Los Angeles. The timing of the su... Read more →

Diageo, P&G face rising shipping rates for Europe-Mexico routes

June 2, 2021

The ongoing surge in container shipping rates is not just a Transpacific phenomenon with Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM raising their rates on Europe-to-Latin America lanes by 9% and around a quarter respectively. That’s likely linked to specific port issues given shipments from Europe to Mexico only... Read more →

Supply Chain Research

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