Shipping Update - Australia
The flow on from the Asian situation will be a huge collective operational challenge across the supply chain in Australia over the next month. As previously noted, Shipping Lines are vigorously seeking revenue on empty shipping container returns. Planning will be the key to avoiding financial impacts over the EOY period. We urge all customers to plan early for December/January.
-
- Christmas Day is on a Friday, so many customers may not want to receive FCLs on Thursday 24th
-
- Monday Dec 28th is a public holiday (but not in South Aust, who instead get Thursday Dec 31 off).
-
- Shipping lines typically keep the detention/storage clock ticking throughout this period, except probably Christmas day.
-
- Many empty container yards (assuming 2019 is repeated), will not be open, or may work reduced hours during Christmas/New Year period.
- Transport companies generally require 48 working hours to return empty containers after notification from importers that they are empty and ready for pick up.
- Typically, from fairly early in December, most transport companies push this out to 72 hours notification period.
- With residual problems of empty container yards holding high volumes and working fewer hours, detention fees are a potentially high risk.
It’s vital that importers work to the above time limitations & keep FJT updated as early as possible regarding deliveries (FCL, LCL and air-cargo) from mid-December through to weeks 1/2 of 2021.
