Ningbo-Zhoushan May volumes break record at 3.3 million TEU

PostTime:2022-06-13 08:53:16 View:186

THE Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan broke a record handling 3.3 million TEU in May, an increase of 16 per cent, reports Colchester's Seatrade Maritime News. The port had calls from 299 container services, adding two more services compared with April. Meanwhile, the sea-rail container volume of the port increased 33.8 per cent to 135,000 TEU. Ningbo-Zhoushan port has played a critical role in stabilising the shipping and logistics market during the last two months.

Guangzhou sea-rail container volumes surge in early 2022

PostTime:2022-06-10 10:31:43 View:148

According to the statistics released by Guangzhou Port, the sea-rail container volume of Guangzhou port increased 49.9% on-year in the first five months of 2022. Katherine Si | Jun 09, 2022 Taking advantage of co-operation with inland ports and Nansha railway hub port, Guangzhou port operates a sea-rail combined transportation network of 32 services.  In May, the sea-rail transportation volume for Guangzhou port substantially increased 201.6% year-on-year; the single month sea-rail container volume handled by Nansha railway terminal exceeded 10,000teu.  Related: Hapag-Lloyd pays $2m FMC detention and demurrage settlement To promote efficient transportation, Guangzhou port has established a sea-rail logistics service platform, connecting shipping services with railway and inland cargo transportation to provide an integrated logistics solution.  The bulk-to-container volume of Guangzhou port also jumped 103.1% in May.

Shanghai trucking shortage eases but hurdles remain

PostTime:2022-06-10 10:29:51 View:189

THERE is optimism that a trucking shortage in Shanghai is shrinking, providing relief to the supply chain congestion, though hurdles remain, reports Bloomberg. Some logistics experts see activity returning to 80 per cent of levels seen before Shanghai's Covid crisis lockdowns. Digital freight forwarder Flexport declared the trucking situation in Shanghai could return to normal soon. Although there are increasing levels of export containers heading into the city, IT logistics firm FourKites declared the volume heading out of Shanghai remains muted. FourKites' customers had an average of 52 per cent more volume brought by truck and rail into Shanghai recently, while levels remain 31 per cent lower than March 12. Meanwhile, container volumes transported from Shanghai were 84 per cent below March 12 levels.. The situation in Shanghai is being followed closely after a two-month lockdown impacted supply chains. The easing of port congestion is expected to unleash a wave of containers on the US west coast that could clog supply chains further. Citigroup declared in its June supply chains report that the global challenges look to be as sensitive as any time since the Covid crisis began. "Supply chain pressures have proved to be more persistent, and apparently deep-rooted than we had expected even a few months ago," said Citigroup. "Given these realities, any hopes of near-term improvement in supply chain conditions have been shattered."  

May imports, exports up for China as Shanghai ends its lockdown

PostTime:2022-06-10 10:26:09 View:165

CHINA's exports are expected to have expanded at a faster pace in May as factories reopened and supply chain disruptions calmed after Shanghai began to emerge from a lockdown, while imports also likely rose, reports Reuters. The recovery adds to evidence the world's second-largest economy has begun to chart a path out of the supply side shock that rocked world trade and global markets. But China's trade outlook faces risks from factors such as high raw material costs, uncertainties from the Ukraine war and as recovering production overseas affects demand for Chinese goods. Official and private surveys showed China's factory activity contracted at a slower pace in May as Covid curbs in major manufacturing hubs eased, with a gauge on export orders improving.

Shanghai ship queues shorten as world's top port returns to normal

PostTime:2022-06-08 09:20:48 View:145

QUEUING times at the Port of Shanghai, the world's largest port, have shortened as the Chinese economic hub gets back on its feet after a two-month lockdown, reports Beijing's state-run Global Times. Comparing research notes sent to the Global Times by Elane Inc, a well-known shipping data company, dated end of April, mid-May and end of May, the congestion situation at the Port of Shanghai recovered as the average time for vessels waiting to anchor increased from 28 hours at end-April to 71 hours in mid-May, then fell to 29 hours at end of May. Thirty-four vessels were waiting in mid-May compared with 30 at the end of May, both up from the end of April's 23, suggesting ships now wait for shorter periods as port efficiency improves. Shipping experts said the shortened waiting time and recovered port calls could be a sign of more business getting back to the port, as the city declares that it will officially emerge from its "static management". Zhang Yongfeng, director of the shipping market analysis department of the Shanghai International Shipping Institute, warned that there is uncertainty, since US consumption of Chinese products is declining. The Port of Shanghai told the Global Times that the port "never stopped for a single day, having handled 15.3 million TEU at an annual growth rate of 1.9 per cent. In closed-loop management, more than 20,000 employees have been stationed at the port since mid-March, and it has issued over 800,000 green passes for truck drivers moving containers in and out of the port. The port also said that infrastructure expansion projects, including automation, are on schedule. As of end of May, daily throughput stood at 120,000 TEU, returning to 95.3 per cent to normal operation levels.  

Restricted to Ship – Shanghai shipyard coming back to life

PostTime:2022-06-06 10:59:27 View:141

 The fourth episode of Restricted to Ship sees shipyard workers starting to return to the President Wilson as Shanghai moved to get major industries back to work in early May amid the Covid-19 lockdown. Starting on day 73 the vessel had been in the yard, and 43 of the lockdown, the latest episode documents the yard crawling back to life. Initial numbers of workers are small compared to the 500 plus the ship saw before the lockdown, and they face twice daily Covid testing. The crew remain stranded on the ship uncertain when they will be able to leave dock, but at least there is the start of some light at the end of the of the tunnel. Since the episode was recorded Shanghai has lifted its lockdown on 1 June with a gradual return to normality, albeit with many restrictions in place.

Ningbo-Zhoushan port May container volumes hit record

PostTime:2022-06-03 09:39:23 View:54

Ningbo-Zhoushan port’s single month container volume hits a new high in May, surpassing the latest record of 3m teu in April. Katherine Si | Jun 02, 2022 The port is expected to handle over 3.3m teu containers last month, an increase of 16% year-on-year, an all-time-high. As of the end of May, Ningbo-Zhoushan port had calls from 299 container services, adding two more services comparing with April.  Related: Ningbo-Zhoushan hits record container volume amid Shanghai lockdown The sea-rail container volume of Ningbo-Zhoushan port was around 135,000 teu, an increase of 33.8% year-on-year. Ningbo-Zhoushan port has played a key role for stabilising shipping and logistics market during the last two months, which greatly relieved the container transportation pressure triggered by the Covid-outbreaks happened in Yangtze River delta, especially in Shanghai

Shanghai port container throughput rebounds to 80pc of 2021 level

PostTime:2022-05-31 11:34:51 View:132

THE world's biggest container port, Shanghai, posted an 82.4 per cent year on year increase in April throughput to 3.08 million TEU, according to the Ministry of Transport (MOT), reported Beijing state media. "Currently, logistics in Shanghai and other key areas are gradually improving, with initial results in rectifying excessive prevention and control problems," said MOT official Shu Chi, citing improvements in the country's transport capacity. To ensure efficient operation of the transportation network's backbone, a unified national pass for vehicles transporting vital supplies was adopted by 27 Chinese provinces, reported China Global Television Network (CGTN). China has introduced a raft of measures including issuing sufficient unified national traffic permits and adopting a "white list" approach to support work resumption at key domestic and foreign firms, it said. The authorities also announced that eligible express delivery income have been exempted from value-added tax since May 1 to the end of the year. It is likely to reduce the burden for related enterprises by CNY1 billion (US$148.96 million).      

China port volume edges up 1.7pc to 91m TEU during Jan-April

PostTime:2022-05-26 09:30:44 View:175

CONTAINER volumes at China's ports increased slightly during January-April, despite the impact from widespread Covid restrictions, including another lockdown in Tianjin. According to China's ministry of transport, port volumes increased 1.7 per cent year on year during the period, to 91 million TEU, with 23.6 million TEU handled in April alone, according to London's Loadstar. The Covid-related disruption is continuing at ports across the country, however. In its latest update, Fibs Logistics noted that Tianjin was the latest major port city to go into lockdown. The forwarder said: "Carriers have cancelled many vessels, causing delays and blank sailings at Tianjin and Xingang. Factories and ports are fully operational, and pushing up freight rates, but this might change with the lockdown this week." In South China, Fibs said, there was no congestion at Yantian and Shekou, with good spot rates available to the US and EU markets. Meanwhile, Guangzhou was still under lockdown, the forwarder added, with restrictions on trucks and drivers, while shipping lines had been "cancelling some voyages due to congestion and reduced demand". And in Shanghai, the reality on the ground has failed to live up to the latest reopening hype from local officials. Fibs head of Greater China Thomas Gronen said: "We're in a period of ambiguity. There's an official ruling by the city government of relaxation, but it's not yet being followed at the neighbourhood committee level. "To leave your residential neighbourhood and go back to work is still not possible, either. The closed-loop working conditions remain generally in place." Furthermore, Mr Gronen noted, there was no sign of a post-lockdown cargo surge. "Based on the largely unchanged conditions, our recommendation remains using Ningbo port."  

Major Chinese ports container volume falls 0.4% in early May

PostTime:2022-05-25 09:24:39 View:184

Affected by the bad weather in early May, container volume for eight major Chinese ports declined by 0.4% year-on-year. Katherine Si | May 24, 2022 Export container volume increased 1.7% while the domestic volume dropped 6.8% in early May. Among which, the port of Ningbo-Zhoushan and Tianjin both posted a growth rate of 27%.  Cargo throughput at major coastal hub ports increased 0.7% year-on-year while the international trade cargo throughput declined 3.6%. Related: Major Chinese ports container volume back to growth in late April Crude oil shipments at major coastal ports increased 3.2% during the period of early May. Among which the port of Ningbo-Zhoushan posted a growth rate of 36% and the port of Yantai posted a growth rate of 25%. Metal ore shipments at major Chinese ports grew 10.8% in early May. Ningbo-Zhoushan port achieved 35% growth rate.  In early May, cargo throughput and container volume at three major Yangtze River ports, Nanjing, Wuhan and Chongqing dropped 1.1% and 2.4% year-on-year, respectively. 

Lockdown eases in Shanghai, but shipping delays continues

PostTime:2022-05-25 09:10:39 View:241

THE authorities in China appears to be gradually easing its lockdown of Shanghai, but that won't bring immediate relief to global supply-chain congestion, according to a major shipping company, reports Bloomberg The shortage of rail, port and trucking workers in China and the US need to get resolved quicker than is currently happening as they are delaying ships at the world's major ports, said Jeremy Nixon, chief executive officer of Ocean Network Express (ONE). "Every government is doing their best to address the issue, but labour shortages still exist, and infrastructure shortages still exist," Mr Nixon said in a recent interview. "We're putting more ships into service, but we can't magic up more when we're running out." The world's supply chains have taken a battering this year from China's Zero Covid policy, which has hampered the production and delivery of everything from bathroom faucets to Apple iPhones. At the same time, trucker and rail worker shortages in the US have made it difficult for industries to move their goods, prompting the Biden administration to step in. From Los Angeles to Hamburg, scores of containers ships are waiting for weeks to berth at ports, Mr Nixon said. That wait is three weeks at Vancouver in Canada, and there's currently a queue of 130 vessels waiting off the world's biggest port in Shanghai, he said. While the Chinese city's lockdown is slowly being eased as Covid-19 cases drop, the number of container ships spotted in the Shanghai and Ningbo-Zhoushan region is still 11 per cent above the median in the last year, according to shipping data compiled by Bloomberg. And the volume of container goods moving in or out of Shanghai port by truck and train has declined recently, according to data from FourKites. Some shippers have tried to shift to air routes but have faced similar problems, with many flights being cancelled as a result of staffing shortages, according to digital freight forwarder Zencargo. The disruption to supply chains has extended further south to other ports. The number of container ships off Shenzhen and Hong Kong hit a seven-month high of 184 vessels early last week. At this time last year, there were just 95 vessels in the area. Mr Nixon said ONE is planning to reduce the number of ships that it charters from other parties, adding that about 15 per cent of the company's fleet is hired on short-term contracts lasting up a year. The company is looking at ordering new ships that will run on cleaner fuel, he said.    

China offers coastal 'piggyback' system to supply needed empties

PostTime:2022-05-23 08:19:46 View:218

CHINA has implemented a Chinese inter-port "piggyback" system to get empty containers where they are needed most, reports Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide. This enables carriers such as Maersk and Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) to plan first voyages by the end of this month, say analysts. Meanwhile, the administrative committee of Shanghai's Lin-gang Special Area of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone said at a news conference that China will introduce a container freight forward rate contract trading platform reports {非本站网址} Despite a complex international situation and given the impact of Covid, the Yangshan Special Comprehensive Bonded Zone in Shanghai has encouraged enterprises to resume production, and the business in the bonded zone has operated smoothly in the first quarter, the committee said. "The new service (for shipping of foreign trade containers between ports within China) is expected to help cut the logistics costs for both exporters and importers, improve the utilisation rates of containerships, and relieve the tightness of shipping capacity to a certain extent," said Zhou Zhicheng, a researcher at the Beijing-based China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing. Maersk spokesman Jens Eskelund this represents a tangible step for foreign carriers in China toward achieving market access on reciprocal terms. "International relay will allow us to improve services, giving our customers more flexibility and options for their shipments. We are preparing the first shipment in Yangshan terminal in Shanghai, together with the Lin-gang Special Area Administration and other relevant stakeholders," Mr Eskelund said. Hong Kong-based Asia Shipping Certification Services Co has been officially approved to carry out statutory ship inspection work in the Lin-gang Special Area as the first inspection agency that is not incorporated in the Chinese mainland. In March and April, the daily average container throughput in Yangshan terminal reached 66,000 and 59,000 TEU, each accounting for 90 per cent and 85 per cent, respectively, of the average level seen in the first quarter.