Britain's largest port strikes, dozens of cargo ships affected! Losses amount to $800 million!

Britain's largest port strikes, dozens of cargo ships affected! Losses amount to $800 million!
It is learned that according to foreign media reports, on August 21 local time , more than 1,900 port workers at the Port of Felixstowe in the UK began an eight-day strike due to labor disputes. The reason was that the workers were dissatisfied with the 7% salary increase proposed by the employer earlier, believing that it was not as good as the price increase, and demanded higher wages.

 

▲ Picture from Reuters


On the 17th of this month, the UK inflation rate exceeded the 10% mark. The continued high inflation has significantly increased the cost of living for local residents. As early as July 28, the British Unite Union said that the workers at the Port of Felixstowe had voted to strike. But after that, the employer did not make concessions on the salary increase , which led to the recent strike.
 


Nearly half of container imports suspended, 33 cargo ships affected


The Port of Felixstowe is one of the largest and busiest container ports in Europe and an important hub for UK imports and some exports. The port handles more than 4 million containers each year, accounting for nearly half (48%) of the country's container trade . During the strike, the container terminal will stop operating, and a large amount of goods shipped to the UK will be forced to divert to other European ports to avoid delivery delays .
 
An analysis by the Russell Group shows that the strike will deal a severe blow to European supply chains, with an estimated trade loss of more than $800 million , mostly with Asia, affecting product delivery and supply in multiple industries including retailers and automobiles.
 
IQAX, a global information technology company, released data on affected container ships, showing that 33 ships were forced to divert at the peak of the strike on the 21st. The latest data as of August 23 shows that 23 ships are still affected, and this number may change in the next few days.
 
▲ Picture from IQAX

The affected vessels as of August 23 are as follows:
 

  • BF FORTALEZA

  • BG IRELAND

  • COSCO SHIPPING STAR

  • COSCO VIETNAM

  • EVELYN MAERSK

  • HENRIKA SCHULTE

  • JAZAN

  • MSC ALLEGRA

  • MSC CANCUN

  • MSC DAISY

  • MSC FLAVIA

  • MSC LA SPEZIA

  • MSC London

  • MSC MELISSA

  • MSC PALOMA

  • MSC SORAYA

  • MSC SVEVA

  • MSC TERESA

  • OOCL HONG KONG

  • SPIRIT

  • SVEN D

  • VILNIA MAERSK

  • YM EVOLUTION

 

Prior to the port strike, the British Communication Workers Union announced on August 10 that Royal Mail employees would go on strike to protest the company's 2% pay increase, with the strikes scheduled for August 26, August 31, September 8 and September 9. All collection and delivery will be suspended during the strike.

 


How do cross-border platforms respond to frequent strikes?


For sellers in Europe, frequent strikes at ports and logistics systems will undoubtedly increase logistics costs, and the initially estimated delivery time may also be delayed. In response to such situations, many e-commerce platforms have introduced new policies or provided suggestions to help sellers who may be affected to overcome difficulties.

 

1. Amazon UK announced that it will extend delivery time

 
It is learned that on August 22, Amazon UK issued an announcement that due to the impact of the UK strike on delivery, Amazon will extend the delivery time of packages in the next few weeks . In order to minimize the impact on sellers' business, Amazon also made 5 suggestions:
 

  • Notify carriers in advance of product volume forecasts and demand changes.
  • Consider using multiple carriers to ensure your shipment can be shipped on time.
  • If the buyer's order exceeds the expected delivery date, please provide the buyer with accurate logistics information and update the buyer regularly on logistics information.
  • To avoid increasing cancellation rates, continue to deliver orders as quickly as possible.

  • If the seller is unable to process the buyer's order at all, please update the product listing status during holidays and other absences to deactivate the information of all self-delivered products on the UK site.


2. eBay provides protection for sellers affected by the strike

 
On August 18, eBay UK announced that due to a series of strikes by Royal Mail employees in the coming weeks, many deliveries will be delayed. eBay will provide protection measures for sellers affected by the strike . From August 22 to September 18, eBay will automatically protect sellers' transactions, including three specific points:
 

  • Delete the delayed shipment rate and the negative and neutral reviews that the seller received due to order cancellations during the above period;
  • Remove the item not received (INR) count from the seller service metrics, along with any related negative and neutral reviews;

  • Remove "Item Not Received" disputes due to delayed or non-delivery



Since the beginning of this year, high inflation in Europe and the United States has dealt a devastating blow to global trade, with mass spending power declining and strikes increasing. It is foreseeable that if the inflation problem cannot be solved, there will be more strikes in the future . The protection that the platform can provide is not permanent, and cross-border sellers need to pay attention to such news and adjust their delivery plans in a timely manner.


<<:  Limited to 2,000 copies | "Global Cross-border E-commerce Resource Manual" officially released

>>:  Trend Insights | Latin America is full of business opportunities. How can sellers get in?

Recommend

Walmart invests in technology to stay ahead of competition

Walmart is investing heavily in technology to stay...

Big Commerce and Mercado Libre reach cooperation! Officially enter the Latin American market

<span data-shimo-docs="[[20,"获悉，Big Commer...

As internal circulation prevails, profits fall below the red line, and sellers call for an end to philanthropist behavior!

It is understood that according to foreign media r...

Amazon's new insurance policy is cancelled! Sellers: What's the fun?

Recently, Amazon Insurance was hit by another big...

What is StreetPricer? StreetPricer Review

StreetPricer is a dynamic repricing, competitor an...

What is Byju's? Byju's Review

Byju's is an Indian K12 online education servi...

What is thegreatputonmv? thegreatputonmv review

thegreatputonmv focuses on European high- end luxu...

Delivery delay warning! Severe storms hit many parts of the United States, USPS issued a suspension notice!

<span data-docs-delta="[[20,"获悉，据外媒报道，12月1...

In 2021, the US influencer marketing expenditure will reach 3.69 billion US dollars! Instagram accounts for the majority

It is learned that according to eMarketer's fo...

These two core points of advertising optimization are very important!

text ①Keyword relevanceThis is easy to understand...

Entire categories disappear on Amazon? Something big happened right after Primeday

Membership Day on the US site officially ended thi...

Amazon’s billion-dollar sales were blocked, resulting in losses of tens of millions during the promotion!

Recently, Amazon has once again set off a round o...

Amazon's sales and profits both declined, and the company started a werewolf killing game

What do you think about this matter? A’s point of...

In 2020, the worst-hit industry is cross-border e-commerce, no doubt about it!

A month ago, the worst-hit industries were the cat...

Revenue exceeds 2.3 billion! Unaffected by the account ban wave, this huge sale will impact the listing!

Driven by national policies and market demand, cro...