Shippers Bear Cost of China Port Problems

Container lines are tacking on large surcharges, skipping port calls, and shortening delivery windows for export containers at Chinese ports in response to the crippling congestion of the past couple of weeks. ONE has added a $1,000 surcharge for refrigerated cargo, blaming terminal inefficiency. Some carriers are skipping ports, others are restricting loading times to hurry the process of moving ships around the world. In any case, ocean shipping is a mess for many sellers and traders around the world.

The only way to combat the delays and fines is to plan as far ahead as possible and make those plans as flexible as you can. Adding hours to load times and appointments, accepting pickups later and earlier, giving truckers more leeway to arrive as needed will be most helpful. Look deeply at your current forecasts and book your equipment as early as you can to ensure the equipment will be available and have space on whichever vessel you need. Vessel choice is also less important now and we’re asking clients to look at alternate journeys, destinations, and ports to use to broaden the options we have. The carriage difference between Norfolk and Savannah is negligible when one takes the delays into account. As many can’t use Yantian because of delays, there are other options we can choose when booking to alleviate the problems.

Many analysts think this might last until the second quarter of 2022, which is fully one year away from today. However, by planning ahead and leaning into the expertise of your Nelson international representative you can survive the coming issues like peak season and holiday carrier drama and feel better knowing the experts are on your side. We encourage you to look into our services and talk to our experts to learn the best practices to adopt during this unprecedented disruption. We have your back. Let us ship your cargo.