Zimbabwe Freight Forwarding Services
Air & Sea Freight Between Zimbabwe and the UK

European air cargo demand continues to fall following EU's stricter import rules

Air cargo demand from China and Europe continued to fall last week partly as a result of the Euorpean Union's new rules around the import of e-commerce goods. The latest figures from data provider WorldACD show that in the week ending 2 August (week 31), volumes from China to Europe were down 5% compared with a week earlier, while from Hong Kong there was a 3% decline. The data firm said that for July as a whole, volumes from "e-commerce-driven" Hong Kong to are down 19% compared with June and 24% year on year. From China to Europe, volumes in July were less affected than Hong Kong drop-off but are still down 3% compared with June and 6% behind last year's levels. The drop-off comes after the EU ended its tariff-free exemptions on goods valued less than €150 by adding a €3 charge per item. "Spot rates from both China and Hong Kong to Europe during that same six-week period have also been in persistent decline," WorldACD added in a market review. The lower volumes are also affecting pricing, with average spot rates from Hong Kong to Europe falling from US$5.80 per kg in mid to late June to $4.96 per kg in week 31. From China rates are down from $5.43 per kg in week 25 to $3.86 per kg in week 31. Rates from both origins to Europe are higher than last year in week 31 - up 2% from China dn 7% from Hong Kong - but this is down on the 25% difference of the previous three months. Elsewhere, "spot rates from many parts of Asia Pacific to Europe remain at highly inflated levels compared with this time last year, including from Taiwan (33% year on year), Vietnam (39% year on year) and Thailand (32% year on year)", WorldACD said. "But the fall in spot rates to Europe from China and Hong Kong in recent weeks has narrowed the overall increase versus last year for Asia Pacific to Europe spot rates from 39% in week 25 to just 17% in week 31," it added.

Congestion fear as 'unnavigable' Rhine means cargo shift to road and rail

Water levels along the Rhine are continuing to fall, as repeated heatwaves across Europe prolong drought, with shipping bosses now warning the river could effectively be being "split in two", as carriers slap new surcharges on all modes. MSC announced on Friday it had introduced a wave of "traffic congestion surcharges" for rail, trucking, and rail-truck transport from/to Antwerp and Rotterdam via Andernach, Frankfurt, Germersheim Munich, Nurnberg, Neuss, Strasbourg, Trier, and Woerth. The carrier told customers: "Water levels have fallen to such an extent that barge transportation from Rhine-connected inland terminals has become extremely restricted and, in many cases, no longer possible at all." "The low water situation in Europe has led to significant transport capacity reduction in the hinterland market, causing more pressure on alternative routings via rail and truck," it added as it announced its new surcharges. The fees will become applicable from 20 August and will be charged at €44 per container being moved by truck for all origins and destinations, with rail and rail-truck surcharges of €50 per container for Germany/Alsace origin or destined loads. Since MSC announced its surcharges, water levels have fallen even more, with the Kaub gauge now at 17cm, the Emmerich gauge empty, Duisburg-Ruhrort at 142cm, and the Koln gauge at 62cm, all surpassing the historic lows set earlier this summer. Federal Association of German Inland Shipping MD Jens Schwanen told local media that with the Kaub set to drop to single digits for the first time in its recorded history, "commercial shipping will no longer be able to transport any goods". He added: "In principle, the Rhine is then no longer navigable along its entire length and thus split in two," and he gave no indication that the waterway could expect any help from the sky this week. The latest forecasts suggest temperatures will drop no lower than 30ºC, and likely to top 36ºC at some points during the week, meaning there is no chance of the precipitation necessary to raise water levels. Sources told The Loadstar they were working on the basis that the situation would only worsen over the course of August and, with more and more shippers turning to rail and road, there were expectations of worsening traffic congestion. One source noted that if the Rhine was not back to navigable levels when the summer holidays end and commuter traffic returns, there could be deadlock across Northern Europe's road network, creating "untold economic damage".

SeaLead's sanctions death spiral: a compliance case study for every forwarder

Ouch: from 13th-largest container line to liquidation in twelve months, SeaLead's collapse under US sanctions is a cautionary tale about counterparty risk in opaque shipping markets. A year ago, SeaLead Shipping was one of container shipping's most compelling growth stories. Established in 2017, SeaLead rapidly emerged as a leading liner operator, reaching 13th place in the global container line rankings according to maritime analyst Alphaliner. It operated 52 chartered ships across intra-Asia, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, transpacific and Mediterranean ...