• Strike action in the U.K. is affecting the port of Felixstowe for a second time and

  adding to the new strike in Liverpool.

• China – Australia ocean services continue to be affected by overcapacity and lack

  of demand. Rates are plummeting to below pre-COVID levels.

• Typhoon Muifa interrupted port activities in Eastern Chinese ports twice causing

  significant damage in several ports. Typhoon Nanmadol followed a more northerly

  path to lay waste to Japan and Korea.

• Global vessel schedule reliability improved significantly. The global indicator now

  stands at 40.5% up from 39.5% with Maersk at 48% and Evergreen at 44.3%.

• Australian ports continue to underperform in global rankings for productivity and

  none of the national ports feature in the top 250.

• Suez Canal fees to increase by 15% affecting some 20,000 voyages each year. Last

  reported revenue figures for 2021 – USD 6.3b.

• US Rail strike averted as productivity increases have reduced workforce from

  600,000 to 115,000 in last 30 years. 14.1% wage increase among the offer details. Negotiations at West Coast ports between waterfront workers and employers are continuing with no end in sight yet.

• Reminder to importers that Brown Marmorated Stick Bug season commenced on 01 September and that China + U.K. are included as ‘Emerging Risk Countries’.

• Sydney reports significant delays with off-hiring containers as storage capacities are full and surcharges are applied to off-hiring of container equipment. A new facility is being built with a capacity of 6,000 containers near Botany Port Terminal.

• FedEx lays off significant capacity and suspends hiring of staff as weakening demand causes substantial loss in Q1/23. Announces 2023 increase in rates of 6.9%. UPS not commenting on results yet.

• US parcel statistics indicate that delivery capacity is 110 million parcels/day whereas demand is at 92 million parcels/day. Flat forecast for peak season.

• China celebrates ‘Golden Week’ 01 – 07 October with most economic activity suspended.

BSI is offering additional information, and we hope you remain safe and well.