July 28 2023 Customer Advisory Notice

NZ Local Update

Ports of Auckland and Tauranga have transitioned back to regular scheduled berth windows for arriving vessel. Auckland’s Ferguson terminal is currently undergoing work for the next 3 months but is not expected to have any impact on terminal operations. Lyttelton is currently having pockets of congestion causing delays and changes to vessel rotation.

Empty dehire yards appear to once again be restricting delivery time slots for empty containers due to capacity constraints. With a reduction in import container volumes, we are seeing CFS unpack times for LCL are continuing to see expected turnaround times usually within 48 hours of container discharge.

Vehicle Booking (VBS) costs have again increased in Auckland leading to an increase of VBS fees charged to NZD 140.00 per container. We have received General Rate Increase notices from trucking companies with the intention to raise their costs between 5–7% from 01 August 2023.

FreightWorks has evaluated the FAF being charged to us by our carriers as of the 1st to 31st August 2023 and FAF rate will increase to 19%. This will be re-evaluated monthly.

Asia Market Update

With increased booking volumes mainly due to vessel blanking and sliding schedules most shipping lines have indicated the intent to apply a rate restoration charge of around USD 150.00/TEU from 01 August 2023 ex North Asia with MSC also indicating a following rise of USD 300.00/TEU from 15 August 2023. However, we are expecting not all lines will follow through with these increases or will at a reduced level.

At this stage there has been no indication of Southeast Asia routes following. We have seen bookings rolling on schedules either direct or transhipping through Port Klang or Singapore due to lines trying to clear the backlog of containers sitting in these ports that have rolled at tranship. Most of these delays are still being attributed to delays in NZ waters though the lines have also blanked sailings to keep demand for space high.

Europe Market Update

Blank sailings on both first leg and second leg routes in order to keep vessels full have been causing delays for containers moving out of Europe through Asia, with some lines limiting the number of bookings being accepted. BMSB Season has ended.

All departures ex Europe do not need any BMSB treatment or documentation. The season 2023/2024 will start again on 1st September.

USA / Canada Market Update

Weekly operations between West Coast USA and Auckland have resumed following the reintroduction of berth windows in Auckland. The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), representing the terminals, and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), representing workers, announced a tentative agreement on a new six-year contract. No details have yet been released, and the agreement is still subject to ratification by both parties.

Australia Update

With the new entrants into the Trans-Tasman market and falling demand we are seeing increasing capacity on the trade lane leading to reductions in pricing and more schedule options both East and Westbound.

Australian port congestion has hit critical levels for breakbulk and Ro/Ro carriers due to bio-security concerns over seed contamination. Delays have seen rates balloon with demand for space far outstripping supply and lead time increasing significantly. The situation is expected to last into 2024.

Thank you for your continued support.

Please contact us for any inquiries:
Customer Service
Email: cs@freightworks.co.nz
Phone: 09 222 1150