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▶ Video account attention cross-border navigation It is learned that on March 21, after a week of slow life, Shenzhen, the "first city of cross-border e-commerce", finally turned off the pause button and became lively again. Shenzhen workers carried their computers and keyboards and resumed their busy "involutionary life". To this day, Shenzhen's morning rush hour is still shoulder to shoulder, just like the "Spring Festival travel rush".
Many warehouses in Shenzhen have resumed receiving and delivering goods, allowing cross-border sellers who were worried about inventory backlogs to finally see the dawn of profitability. In this regard, there is also good news: in recent days, the global container freight index has continued to fall, and shipping costs have therefore fallen. Freight rates temporarily reduced, global container freight index continued to fall It is learned that the Global Container Freight Index (WCI) fell by 3.8% to US$8,832.23/FEU. This is the first time that the WCI has fallen below US$9,000/FEU since July 29, 2021. Among them, according to the Shanghai Export Container Freight Index (SCFI) released by the Shanghai Shipping Exchange, in the past month, the settlement freight index of Shanghai Port's exports to Europe (base port) has dropped by 6.7% year-on-year. Specifically, freight rates on the Shanghai-Los Angeles route plummeted by 7% ($811) to $10,154/FEU; the spot rate on the Shanghai-New York route fell by 5% ($685) to $12,276/FEU; and the FAK rate on the Shanghai-Rotterdam route fell by 4% ($464) to $12,221/FEU. It is learned that freight rates in multiple markets including Asia-Europe routes, Persian Gulf routes, Australia-New Zealand routes, and South America routes have also fallen to varying degrees. Matsun shipping freight rates have also fallen recently, with some freight forwarders quoting Matsun scheduled ships as low as 15/KG. On the first day after resuming work, many cross-border sellers in Shenzhen took advantage of the drop in shipping costs and quickly arranged shipments. However, it is also understood that the reason for the decline in shipping costs this time is largely due to the impact of the recent domestic epidemic caused by the cold spring, which has temporarily closed some storage centers in Shenzhen and reduced freight demand. But as of now, some ports in the Shenzhen area have been opened, and the strategic Yantian container terminal is also trying to remain open. As freight traffic increases, it is likely that container ships in the port will be congested and freight rates will rise again. Port congestion, bulk carrier port congestion index hits record high It is learned that due to the epidemic blockade and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the current supply chain disruptions have not improved, and the congestion at container ports remains "serious." Clarksons Research's cross-sector deep-sea cargo ship port congestion index has reached 31.5% so far, compared with an average of 30.8% in 2021. Among them, the bulk carrier (Cape/panamax) port congestion index hit a new high of 36.3% in the third week of February. The average value of the index from the beginning of this year to date is 35%, higher than 32.8% in 2021. On March 16, the seven-day moving average container ship port congestion index rose to 35.2% from 33.7% a month ago. In addition, it was learned that the container handling volume of the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach in February also exceeded records. Among them, the Port of Los Angeles reported that it handled 857,764 TEUs in February, and the loaded import volume reached 424,073 TEUs, an increase of 2.7% over last year. Compared with the same month last year, the total throughput increased by more than 7.3%. The Port of Long Beach reported that it handled 796,560 TEUs , an increase of 3.2% over February 2021, also setting a new record for container handling. As can be seen from the above, the "container terminal speed" of these two major ports is continuously improving. Faced with the overload of US ports, California also plans to invest a record $2.3 billion in California ports to ease the tight port pressure in the United States. But as of now, the continued chaos on the east coast of the United States, the Russia-Ukraine conflict that amplified the "inefficiency" of shipping, and the resurgence of the epidemic have made it temporarily impossible for the global supply chain to resume normal operations. Even if the "container terminal speed" improves, high shipping costs will continue for a long time. In addition, international air freight rates are also affected by the epidemic and remain high. International air freight rates remain high as routes open It is learned that according to Xinhua News Agency, as the COVID-19 epidemic has restricted cross-border truck transportation, Shenzhen, China has opened cargo charter flights to Hong Kong. These flights will help meet the cross-border transportation needs of companies in Shenzhen and surrounding areas and ease the current tense supply chain situation. The service will start on March 19 and last until early April. It will be operated by SF Airlines, with a Boeing 767 freighter capable of transporting 45 metric tons of cargo at a time, making six round trips between Shenzhen and Hong Kong per week, including export cargo. In this regard, it is also learned that although Hong Kong has relaxed its control measures on the new crown epidemic and factories and businesses in Shenzhen have reopened on Monday this week, the epidemic control blockade measures still put pressure on air cargo rates. Rates from Shanghai to the US East Coast have risen 42% so far this month. Prices from Europe to Asia are also rising, with Frankfurt to Shanghai, for example, up 17% and Hong Kong up 110%. Air cargo shippers now also have to deal with flight diversions due to Shanghai's epidemic control measures. According to reports, from March 21 to May 1, 106 international flights on 22 different routes originally scheduled to arrive in Shanghai will be diverted to other airports in major Chinese cities. It is not difficult to predict that shipping costs will continue to rise due to factors such as reduced passenger volume in Shanghai, rising aviation fuel prices, and airspace restrictions caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. No matter how many times you are beaten, you will still be tough, no matter which direction the wind blows. We also hope that the global epidemic will dissipate soon, the obstructed logistics will resume soon, the soaring freight rates will drop soon, and the cross-border sellers who have experienced "thousands of hardships" will finally get their rewards and sell well! |
