inter-sped blue logo with transparent background

Leading freight forwarding
company in South Africa

Best in industry knowledge & expertise. Fastest response times. Competitive in price and service.

Global Freight Logistics Specialists

Inter-Sped are the leaders in the transport and logistics industry in Africa, providing unrivalled skills in freight forwarding, customs brokering and warehousing. With offices located in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, and partners based around the world, our dedicated team offer each and every client personalised service across a range of freight logistics areas

aeroplane on runway being loaded with shipping parcels for air freight

Founded in 1985, our shareholders and directors hold experience in freight forwarding that spans over three decades. All our shareholders and directors play an integral role in day to day operations, taking us from merely knowing the business to truly living the brand.

shipping freight containers at harbour in early morning

1. Customer Centric
a. The freight company in South Africa that see’s customer service and communication as a KPI.

2. Industry Experts
a. 35+ Years experience in the freight forwarding and customs brokering industry places us ahead of the rest.

3. Peace of Mind
a. Financially sound freight forwarders with an innovation mindset. Secure, and easily able to pivot for innovation or necessity.

4. Quality Supply Chain
a. Our network of partners and suppliers across the world ensure less risk and more savings on time and cost.

man sealing boxes with tape ready for shipping

WHO WE ARE

OUR HISTORY

WHY INTER-SPED?

contour lines

Our Freight Forwarding Services

Our Footprint

thumbs up icon with transparent background
0 %

Customer Appreciation

0

Years of service excellence

0 k+

Shipments Delivered

0 bil+

KG’s moved

0

Countries serviced

Our Process

Latest News

Weekly Freight & Logistics Update 09/03/2023

SOUTH AFRICA

DURBAN
• The port has reported strong winds during the week.
• Pier 1 : 0-1 days
• Pier 2 : 1 day
• Durban Point : 3 days

CAPE TOWN
• The port has reported strong disruptive winds during the week.
CTCT : 10 days
MPT : 5-7 days

PORT ELIZABETH
• The port has reported strong winds during the week.
PECT – 0-1 days
NCT – 1 day

AFRICA & INDIAN OCEAN ISLANDS

MAURITIUS
• Reduced berthing delay of 2 days as the port recovers from recent congestion.

ANGOLA
• Berthing delay of 3 days continues to be experienced at Luanda port.

GHANA
• No changes to berthing delay of 1 day experienced at Tema port.

NIGERIA
• Increased berthing delay of 3 days experienced at Apapa port.

TANZANIA
• Reduced berthing delay of 5 days experienced at Dar es Salaam port.

KENYA
• Berthing delay of 3 days continues to be experienced at Mombasa port.

MOZAMBIQUE
• Berthing delay of 1 day continues to be experienced at Maputo port.

NORTH AMERICA

USA
Terminals Updates:
• NY/NJ – Vessel waiting time remains at 1 day. Import Dwell time at APM terminal is 2 days.
• Norfolk – vessel waiting time is 1-2 days. One crane down at Norfolk Int’l Terminal.
• Savannah – Vessel waiting time 2 days.
• Charleston – Vessel waiting time 2 days.
• Miami/Port Everglades – Vessel waiting time 2-4 days.
• Houston – Vessel waiting time 1-2 days.
• Los Angeles/ Long Beach – Vessel waiting time 4 days.
• Seattle – Vessel waiting time 1 day.
• Oakland – Vessel waiting time 3-5 days.

Rail Updates
• Rail ramp is currently experiencing congestion in Chicago, Columbus, and Los Angeles. There are delays in picking-up and delivering containers at these locations.

CANADA

MONTREAL
• Vessels are facing severe weather on the North Atlantic and expected to arrive in Montreal with 5-7 day of delays.

VANCOUVER
• Daily rail productivity remains below expectations due to reduced car supply and winter tier conditions resulting in shorter trains and reduced speeds.

LATIN AMERICA

BRAZIL
• Reduced berthing delay of 1 day experienced at Santos port.

NORTH WEST CONTINENT, UNITED KINGDOM, MEDITERRANEAN
• Vessel schedule delays continue to impact the region. Amended port rotations and port omissions on the carrier services, as well as vessel changes and blank sailings may result in amended cargo loading schedules.

BELGIUM
• All ANR terminals still have export delivery restrictions in place. Export cargo delivery gates will be opened only 7 days prior to vessel ETA. Reduced berthing delay of 1 day being experienced at Antwerp port.

GERMANY
• Berthing delay of 2 days currently experienced at Hamburg port.

UK
• Reduced berthing delay of 1 day experienced at London Gateway port.

SPAIN
• Berthing delay of 2 days experienced at Barcelona port.

NETHERLANDS
• Berthing delay of 1 day experienced at Rotterdam port.

FRANCE
• Ongoing strikes continue to impact the ports. Berthing delays of 4 days still being experienced at Le Havre Port, while Fos-sus-Mer is experiencing reduced berthing delays of 2 days.

ITALY
• Berthing delay of 6 days experienced at Genova port.

FINLAND
• The port strike which started on 15th of February 2023 has officially ended on 2nd March 2023. Work will commence at every port immediately however not at full speed.

INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT and MIDDLE EAST

INDIA
• Berthing delay of 1 day experienced at Nhava Sheva, Mundra and Chennai ports.

UAE
• No change in the berthing delay of 1 day for Jebel Ali port.

ASIA PACIFIC (Including Oceania)

Most ports and terminals continue to operate efficiently with the only delays being experienced being on vessel scheduling.
Hazardous commodity acceptance out of China remains a challenge as approval for loading remains subject to carriers’ stringent acceptance protocols.

SHANGHAI / NINGBO
• Decreased berthing delay of 2 days experienced at both ports.

QINGDAO
• Intermittent port closure occurring due to strong winds and dense fog. Berthing delay of 1 day experienced.

SINGAPORE
• Berthing delay of 1 day experienced.

NEW ZEALAND
• Reduced berthing delay of 4 days being experienced in Auckland.

NEWS ARTICLES

SOUTH AFRICAN TRADE MOVES AWAY FROM AIR CARGO AS OCEAN RATES TUMBLE

South Africa is set to see a shift from air freight as importers and exporters eye tumbling sea freight rates and improved ocean reliability.

The automotive industry in particular will rely less on air, delegates heard at last week’s Air Cargo Africa event in Johannesburg. “The market has been very volatile,” explained Renaj Moothilal, executive director of South Africa’s component manufacturer association, NAACAM. “In the past, we’ve moved mostly by sea freight, but over the [pandemic] years, we’ve had a huge uptake towards air. Sea had issues. We’ve seen a 60% to 70% increased use of airfreight over the last three or four years.”

Jacques Mellet, head of logistics for Indian carmaker Mahindra & Mahindra, said his company had also turned to air freight. “We do just-in-time logistics, so sea freight is always a challenge. Covid had a huge impact and we had to turn to air. Normally, we do 80% sea freight, now it’s more like 60:40 or 50:50. We have to ensure plants run smoothly.”

According to the latest data from research consultancy Trade Data Service (TDS), last year air accounted for about 20% of the value of South African trade, with sea and road accounting for 67% and 12%, respectively. Overall trade by air declined by 1.2% last year, but exports were up slightly, by 0.5%, and much of the decline in imports was associated with a drop in Covid vaccines delivered.

About two-thirds of Africa’s air cargo volumes go through four airports, it said: Nairobi, Johannesburg, Addis Ababa and Lagos.” [1]

CARGO SHIFT FROM U.S WEST COAST TO EAST COAST PORTS

“US shippers and forwarders are offering conflicting pictures of the migration of freight from west to east coast ports. The National Retail Federation (NRF) is concerned that a number of issues could see congestion return to west coast ports, so they are “diversifying the risk” by sending cargo to east and Gulf coast gateways.

At the TPM23 Conference in Long Beach, NRF VP supply chain and customs policy Jonathan Gold said there were a number of issues on the west coast that had raised concerns among members. These include fears of work stoppages as contract negotiations enter their 11th month, the AB5 regulation, which could see freelance contractors reclassified as employees, which has tax implications, clean truck rules, which have cost implications, and insufficient regional warehousing.

According to Mr Gold, there are more warehouse facilities on the east coast and the expansion of the regional population increased demand from the hinterland, plus there was more certainty for shippers sending their freight through east and Gulf coast facilities, which made these ports a more attractive proposition for beneficial cargo owners. [2]

WORLD TRADE UPTICK EXPECTED AS CHINA EXPORTS REVIVE

“World merchandise trade growth dipped in the fourth quarter of 2022 and, while it is likely to remain weak for now, an uptick in trade in some sectors appears to be on the cards in the coming months.

This is according to the latest World Trade Organization Goods Trade Barometer, which reflected weakening trade growth in volume terms after falling to 92.2 in the fourth quarter of 2022, down from 96.2 the previous quarter and below the baseline value of 100. The Goods Trade Barometer provides real-time information on the trajectory of merchandise trade relative to recent trends, with values greater than 100 signalling above-trend trade volume while values less than 100 suggest that goods trade has either fallen below trend or will do so in the near future. [3]

FIATA CALLS FOR REASONABLE FREE TIME FOR CONTAINER USE

“The International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) has urged shipping lines to review and reinstate the current free time periods back to no less than feasible, pre-pandemic levels.

FIATA said in a statement on Tuesday that while the decision to reduce the free time periods was one-sided, market conditions had changed and justifications for the status quo no longer remained valid. “Demurrage and detention charges are an important tool for supply chain stakeholders to ensure the efficient use of their container stock, which represents a substantial investment. Understanding the need for maintaining the velocity of cargo, containers need to be turned around as fast as possible,”

“With reduced volumes shipped, the strain on supply chain bottlenecks came down, and congestion has since eased substantially. The idle capacity of containers that were stuck in congestion are now also coming back into circulation,” said FIATA.

FIATA called for detention and demurrage practices to be brought in line with the velocity principle, with multi-stakeholder co-ordination to respond to market needs in a timely manner.” [4]

SHIPPERS WANT STABILITY AND SERVICE, NOT ROCK-BOTTOM FREIGHT RATES

“Service is always going to trump price,” said one delegate at the S&P Global TPM conference this week. “But it has to be a fair price,” he added. BCO procurement managers were trying to achieve just that during the traditional start to the transpacific contract season event.

Many were accompanied by their C-suite executives, as nearly 4,000 people networked and found spaces around the halls for those initial contract discussions with ocean carriers. The shipping lines are desperate to “rekindle relationships”, get contracts signed and MQC (minimum quantity commitments) agreed, to avoid being overly exposed to the spot market.
The buzz around coffee and dinner tables at TPM was of much shorter contracts being agreed – for three months rather than a year – and of some of the usual 12-month contracts being index-linked to offer security for both shipper and carrier.

Although not specifically discussed at the TPM contract sessions, several shippers expressed concerns about the fragility of the Asia-Europe trade lanes. Many annual contract negotiations that normally happen in November and December have been put on the back-burner while volatility in the market continues. [5]

REFERENCES & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Inter-Sped Source information:
• SACO-CFR
• Hapag Lloyd Weekly
• Maersk Customer Advisory
• MSC Customer Advisories
• Transnet Advisories
• The LoadStar Publications
• gCaptain.com
• Shipco Transport
• Splash247.com
• Freightnews
• Hellenic Shipping News

[1] https://theloadstar.com/south-african-trade-moves-away-from-air-cargo-as-ocean-rates-tumble/
[2] https://theloadstar.com/mixed-views-on-cargo-shift-from-us-west-coast-ports-to-the-east/
[3] https://www.freightnews.co.za/article/world-trade-uptick-expected-china-exports-revive
[4] https://www.freightnews.co.za/article/fiata-calls-reasonable-free-time-container-use
[5] https://theloadstar.com/shippers-want-stability-and-service-not-rock-bottom-freight-rates/

Weekly Freight & Logistics Update 16/02/2023

SOUTH AFRICA

DURBAN
• Appointment slots remain constrained due to high volume of containers and backlogs.
• Strong winds on 10th and 11th of February. Current delays:
• Pier 1 : 1-2 days
• Pier 2 : 2-3 days
• Durban Point : 3 days

CAPE TOWN
• Increased waiting time is being experienced at CTMPT.
The port has reported bad weather during the week:
CTCT : 7 days
MPT : 5-7 days

PORT ELIZABETH
• Bad weather has caused vessel berthing delays to affect the port.
PECT – 1.5 days
NCT – 1 days

AFRICA & INDIAN OCEAN ISLANDS

MAURITIUS
• Berthing delay of 6 days at Port Louis.

TANZANIA
• Reduced berthing delay of 3 days at Dar es Salaam port.

KENYA
• Reduced berthing delay of 1 day at Mombasa port.

MOZAMBIQUE
• Poor weather conditions have impacted the country.
Berthing delays of 4 days in Maputo port.

GHANA
• Berthing delay of 1 day remains at Tema port.

ANGOLA
• Reduced berthing delay of 1 day at Luanda port.

NORTH AMERICA

USA
• Shipping lines and Co-Loaders have issued multiple advisories relating to Hazardous cargo, and increased emphasis on enforcement of tough regulations and the hefty fines that go with non-compliance. We are expecting the movement of DGR via LCL to become even tougher from the USA.
• Savannah and Charleston: There have been intermittent port closures due to fog.
• Oakland: Current berthing delay of 4 days.

CANADA
• Montreal: Extreme cold temperatures in Montreal impacted terminal productivity and rail performance.
• Vancouver: Vessel berth congestion has improved; however, rail terminal is experiencing heavy congestion.

NORTH WEST CONTINENT, UNITED KINGDOM, MEDITERRANEAN

TURKEY
• The country recently experienced an earthquake which has impacted on Iskenderun terminal. Logistics in and out of the area has been affected and delays are expected.
• Services out of Istanbul have not been affected and continue to operate normally.

BELGIUM
• Export cargo delivery gates will be opened only 7 days prior vessel ETA.
• Berthing delays of 3 days currently being experienced.

GERMANY
• Terminals has recovered completely and is performing normally with good productivity.

UK
• London Gateway port is operating well. Berthing delay of 2 days.

SPAIN
• Containers transshipping in Algeciras continue to experience delays.

FRANCE
• Ongoing strikes continue to impact the country.
• Gate in and gate out operations are limited.
• Terminal restrictions in place with a short window granted to gate in containers.
• A trucking shortage is expected and may lead to extra costs being incurred.

ITALY
• Containers transshipping in Algeciras continue to experience delays.

INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT and MIDDLE EAST

INDIA
• Only a 1-day berthing delay experienced in Nhava Sheva and Mundra.

UAE
• Jebel Ali port currently only has a 1 day berthing delay.

ASIA-PACIFIC

QINGDAO
• Intermittent port closure continues due to strong winds and dense fog.

NANSHA
• Due to COVID-19 policy adjustment by China authorities, both pilot and stevedore availability is reduced by 10% approximately, lower vessel productivity and longer vessel port stay time is expected.

SINGAPORE
• Due to carrier scheduling delays, vessels are delayed from berthing as originally planned.

MALAYSIA
• Berthing congestion is being experienced due to vessels bunching in Westports.

NEWS ARTICLES

NEW MOMBASA SEA-AIR TERMINAL WILL SLASH TRANSIT TIMES INTO AFRICA

A new sea-air terminal in Mombasa is aiming to more than halve the transit time for goods
moving between China and West Africa. Under development by Astral Aviation, the terminal will be the first in Africa to offer seaair connectivity, as cargo demand within the continent, which includes 16 landlocked countries, is expected to substantially increase over the next decade.

Astral CEO Sanjeev Gadhia told delegates at last week’s World Cargo Summit in Abu Dhabi: “On a purely ocean freight basis, it takes 66 days for deliveries from China to reach Nigeria’s largest city, Lagos, but with this sea-air route, the first for the continent, we will be able to deliver goods in under 30 days.”

Mr Gadhia said that, while the development of Mombasa would be the first, Astral was already in the process of identifying additional sea-air terminals, citing Durban in South Africa and Lome in Togo as potential future sites to cater for this demand.[1]

CONTAINER IMPORTS CONTINUE TO FALL IN THE U.S

Inbound cargo volume at major container ports across the U.S. is expected to drop to the lowest level in nearly three years this month, as retailers remain cautious about the state of the economy, the National Retail Federation said Wednesday.

“With the U.S. economy slowing and consumers worried by rising interest rates and still-high inflation, retailers are importing less merchandise,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy, Jonathan Gold. [2]

ISKENDERUN PORT RESUMES OPERATIONS AFTER MASSIVE FIRE

A fire at Turkey’s Iskenderun Port has been extinguished and maritime operations have resumed in the region, four days after the blaze broke out after following earthquakes that struck the country. More than a thousand containers which had caught on fire are being separated and the rehabilitation of the port will begin swiftly.

A source at the port said smoke was still rising from the scene as cooling operations continue. “The fire is completely extinguished but smoke is rising. Barring an extraordinary event, it looks like there is no chance for the fire to erupt again but cooling operations will last three more days. [3]

CARRIERS ADD FLURRY OF LONG-HAUL SERVICES INTO ‘STEADY’ INDIAN MARKET

The increasingly steady Indian container market is seeing a flurry of new long-haul services, as ocean carriers deftly redeploy tonnage to improve capacity utilisation and profitability.

“The deployment of global container fleets is undergoing significant changes due to declining cargo demand in China and falling ocean freight rates,” Bharat Thanvi, co-founder of Mumbai-based digital forwarder Freightwalla, told The Loadstar. “Over 565,000 teu of capacity has been withdrawn from the Asia-North America and Asia-Europe
trade routes,” he said.

He also noted that Hapag-Lloyd recently pulled a China-Germany express connection, while Ellerman phased more tonnage into the more lucrative transatlantic trade. This diversion, according to Mr Thanvi, had seen a 16.2% increase in the transatlantic capacity, accounting for some additional 162,300 teu slots.

At the same time, Indian exporters are facing demand challenges keeping up the strong growth they had early last year. Indian export volumes, by value, declined 12% year on year in December, according to the latest government data.

According to the freight marketplace, container lines looking to tap the Indian market have an opportunity to build volumes as US importers increasingly diversify their procurements away from China, towards other South-east Asian regions. [4]

RATES WAR PREDICTED AS CARRIERS FACE PERFECT STORM

After a bumper few years in which profits soared to record levels, the liner industry is facing a perfect storm. Amid a slowdown in international trade, resulting in falling rates, combined with an inordinate number of new builds in the pipeline, shippers could soon be in the driving seat once again.

Speaking at the recent National Association of China Shipowners’ Chinese New Year celebration, Evergreen chairman Chang Yen-i warned that, with the large number of new build mega-box ship deliveries beginning this year, liner operators could see a return of pre-pandemic rates wars if consumption fails to keep up with the capacity growth.

Chang said that if the economy did not keep up with the growth of shipping supply, perhaps liner operators would embark on a price war, which is “the unhappiest situation for our industry, unless we can significantly adjust the capacity. If the freight war continues, it may be difficult for earnings from the transpacific, Asia-Europe and other important routes to escape falling below breakeven levels. Even small shipping companies may have losses”. [5]

REFERENCES & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Inter-Sped Source information:
• SACO-CFR
• Hapag Lloyd
• Maersk Customer Advisory
• MSC Customer Advisories
• ONE Line General Information
• Transnet advisories
• The LoadStar Publications
• gCaptain.com
• Shipco Transport
• Splash247.com
• Freightnews by FTW
• Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

[1] https://theloadstar.com/new-mombasa-sea-air-terminal-will-slash-transit-times-into-africa/
[2] https://gcaptain.com/container-imports-continue-to-fall-as-retailers-exercise-caution/
[3] https://gcaptain.com/iskenderun-port-resumes-operations-after-massive-fire/
[4] https://theloadstar.com/carriers-add-flurry-of-long-haul-services-into-steady-indian-market/
[5] https://www.freightnews.co.za/article/rates-war-predicted-carriers-face-perfect-storm

Weekly Freight & Logistics Update – 08/02/2023

Below please find our weekly industry update.

As always, we will keep you posted on any impacts to your cargo on an individual shipment level.

SOUTH AFRICAN PORTS

Advisory issued by Transnet with regards to their EDI systems being down on both the 2nd and 3rd of February 2023. During these periods, cargo due orders were not processed however, orders would be updated once functionality was restored. 

DURBAN 

  • Vessel berthing delays at all piers remain the same as week 4. The port has reported strong winds during the week. 

               Pier 1 : 1-2 days

               Pier 2 : 2-3 days

               Durban Point : 3 days 

  • The GNPA Port of Durban has also sent out an advisory confirming that their operational have been negatively affected by “challenges” with tugs – see below for your ease of reference nd that they are doing their utmost to deal with the situation as best they can:

CAPE TOWN 

  • Vessel berthing delays at CTCT and CTMPT remain the same as week 4. The port has reported extreme wind speeds during the week:

CTCT : 7 days 

MPT : 3-7 days 

PORT ELIZABETH 

  • Although bad weather has been reported during the week, vessel berthing delays remains unchanged from week 4: 

PECT – 0-1 days 

NCT – 0 days 

AFRICA & INDIAN OCEAN ISLANDS

MAURITIUS 

  • Due to recent flooding in Mauritius, operations have been affected and delays are expected. 

TANZANIA 

  • Berthing delays of 7-9 days remain at Dar es Salaam port. 

KENYA 

  • Berthing delays of 3 days remain at Mombasa port.

MOZAMBIQUE 

  • The country recently experienced strong winds due to the impact of Tropical Storm Cheneso. No significant impact to the ports and operations are continuing as per normal. 

GHANA 

  • Berthing delay of 1 day remain at Tema port. 

ANGOLA 

  • Berthing delay of 3 days remain at Luanda port. V

NORTH AMERICA

USA 

  • Important to note that the current AMEX schedule remains erratic; with delays being experienced in both SA ports and USA ports. 
  • Equipment availability: There are continuous chassis shortages in Los Angeles/Long Beach, New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Columbus, Cleveland, Chicago, Memphis, Atlanta, Nashville, and Louisville.
  • Savannah and Charleston: Due to fog, intermittent port closures were experienced during the week. 
  • Houston: Barbour’s Cut terminal is expected to experience berth congestion and labour shortages in the coming days due to Bayport vessels taking up most of the gangs. 
  • Oakland: Vessel berthing delays are expected due to the influx of imports. Average wait time of up to 3 / 24 days.

CANADA 

  • Extreme cold temperatures expected for the next few days in Montreal which will likely impact on terminal productivity and rail performance.

NORTH WEST CONTINENT, UNITED KINGDOM, MEDITERRANEAN

Vessel schedule delays continue to impact the region. 

BELGIUM 

  • All ANR terminals still have export delivery restrictions in place. Export cargo delivery gates will be opened only 7 days prior vessel ETA. 

NETHERLANDS 

  • Berth line-up with less vessels alongside. The terminal is able to advance vessel departures. Import dwell times increased. 

GERMANY 

  • Terminal has recovered completely and is performing again. Berth line-up with gaps due to less vessels. UK Port congestion is noticeable. 

SPAIN 

  • Containers transhipping in Algeciras are still experiencing delays however this has improved from the 3-4 weeks encountered in past weeks. 

PORTUGAL 

  • There is a strike expected in Lisbon, Portugal until February 5, 2023. 

FRANCE

  • Dockers strike confirmed for the 7th of February 2023 for the 48 hours at the Le Havre port, as well as the For-Sur-Mer port in France. No cargo operations are expected during this time. 

ITALY 

  • Containers transhipping in Algeciras are still experiencing delays however this has improved from the 3-4 weeks encountered in past weeks. 

INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT and MIDDLE EAST

INDIA 

  • All ports and terminals are operating efficiently. 
  • Hazardous commodity acceptance out of India remains a challenge as approval for loading remains subject to carriers stringent acceptance protocols. 

UAE 

  • Jebel Ali port currently has a single day berthing delay. 

ASIA PACIFIC

The majority of ports and terminals are operating efficiently with the only delays being experienced being on vessel scheduling. 

Hazardous commodity acceptance out of China remains a challenge as approval for loading remains subject to carriers stringent acceptance protocols. 

QINGDAO

  • Intermittent port closure due and congestion experienced due to strong winds and dense fog is still being experienced. 

NANSHA 

  • Due to COVID-19 policy adjustment by China authorities, both pilot and stevedore availability is reduced by 10% approximately, lower vessel productivity and longer vessel port stay time is expected. 

SINGAPORE 

  • No transhipment delays being experienced however, due to carrier scheduling delays vessels are delayed from berthing as originally planned. 

NEWS ARTICLES

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL FOR U.S TRUCKING? 

Shipments by truck, in the fourth quarter, suffered their largest drop since the height of the pandemic, according to the US Bank Freight Payment Index

General freight demand turned out to be “significantly worse than anticipated”. This demand slump drove a 41% drop in operating income, compared with the fourth quarter of 2021. 

“A pullback in consumer spending is causing the truck freight market to soften,” said ATA SVP and chief economist Bob Costello. “At the same time, monetary policy changes are reducing demand for large-ticket items in interest rate-sensitive areas like autos and homes.” [1]

PAKISTAN INFLATION AT 48-YEAR-HIGH AS SUPPLIES PAM IN PORTS

Pakistan’s inflation quickened to the fastest in almost 48 years in January as thousands of containers of food items, raw materials and equipment are stuck in ports after the cash-strapped government curtailed imports. 

Consumer prices rose 27.55% from a year earlier, according to data released by the statistics department on Wednesday. Inflation is at the highest since May 1975, according to central bank data. 

About 6,000 containers are stranded in ports, including thousands of tons of poultry feed ingredients that pushed chicken prices to a record earlier this year. The logjam is aggravating inflation that has lingered above 20% since June as the government limited imports amid scare funds. [2] 

OVERCAPACITY COULD SPARK NEW RATES WAR AMONG LINERS

“Evergreen chairman Chang Yen-i has warned that, with the large number of newbuild mega-box ship deliveries beginning this year, liner operators could see a return of pre-pandemic rates wars, if consumption fails to keep up with the capacity growth.

Mr Chang told Taiwan’s de facto shipowners’ association: “After two years of amazing profits, the liner industry now faces three challenges. The first is the slowdown of international trade and the global economy; the second is the fall in container freight rates; and the third, the big number of new ships being built.” 

 “If the Russia-Ukraine war ends, it is expected to bring relief to inflation and the energy crisis and [will] stimulate the market to return to normal consumption, which is the most important for the shipping industry.” [3] 

REFERENCES & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

SACO/CFR Source Information:

• Hapag Lloyd

• Maersk

• MSC

• ONE Line

• Transnet

• The LoadStar Publications

• gCaptain.com

• Shipco Transport

• Splash247.com

• Freightnews by FTW

[1] https://theloadstar.com/light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-just-a-glimmer-down-the-road-for-us-trucking/

[2] https://gcaptain.com/pakistan-inflation-at-48-year-high-as-supplies-jam-in-ports/

[3] https://theloadstar.com/evergreen-chief-warns-overcapacity-could-spark-new-rates-war-among-liners/

And that’s the it – As always, the Inter-Sped team are ready to jump for you.

How can we help you?

Get in touch with South Africa’s leading freight forwarding company today.