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Dear Clients, Current container volumes ex North and Southeast Asia into both the East and West Coast ports certainly do indicate that we are well and truly in the “slack season” and a reduction in container pricing has been the effect in recent weeks, but will it last….?? GRI announcements With softer demand for container space from China and NE Asia in the last few months, the shipping lines have gone a little quiet on their GRI program however we have started to see GRI announcement for June. Some carriers are pushing forward with a 1st June GRI whilst some are hedging bets and have announced their GRI will be effective from mid-June. At this stage we have not seen any shipping line GRI notifications for 1st June for Southeast Asia. Blank Sailings Shipping lines are continuing to use an aggressive blank sailing programme to increase rates through in June. We urge you to discuss current bookings and your required landed date(s) with your Transways contact so that we can tailor your bookings to meet available services, whilst the blank sailings are impacting scheduling. China’s New Customs Regulations (2025) China’s new Customs regulations came into effect on 1st May 2025. The regulations adopt a stringent anti-evasion posture. False or incomplete declarations incur administrative penalties, with criminal prosecution for severe cases. Exporters and authorized Chinese customs brokers are facing heightened scrutiny with Brokers being obliged to verify the authenticity of client data. Reports coming from China indicate an increased intervention from Chinese Customs with the physical inspection of cargo increasing. This is impacting LCL cargo at a greater rate due to the nature of varied and mixed cargo loaded into FAK (Free All Kinds) containers. If Chinese Customs wish to inspect 1 line of cargo that is loaded into an FAK container then the entire container is held pending this inspection. This issue is still quite fluid so please reach out to your Transways key contact if you have any questions or concerns. US Trade War & its Impact on shipping into/out of Australia US President Donald Trump says relations with China have been "reset" after an agreement was struck to slash reciprocal tariffs. The two sides agreed to a 90-day pause on measures and that tariffs would be slashed by 115 per cent. The US says it will drop its 145 per cent tariff on China to 30 per cent, while China has agreed to lower its rate on US goods to 10 per cent. Reports from China suggest that a surge of freight bookings have now been placed and freight rates are surging with some customers referring to the rapid rise in rates as “Covid-19 2.0” The Australian shipping environment still hasn’t seen any material change yet, but if CHINA – USA freight rates skyrocket, expect pricing impact on freight from CHINA – AUSTRALIA. We all remember what occurred during the pandemic. End of the Brown Marmorated stink bug season (BMSB) for 2024-25 The 2024-25 BMSB season officially ended on 1st May 2025 for goods shipped from targeted high-risk countries although cargoes that were loaded up until 30th April remain subject to BMSB measures. India-Pakistan Tensions With the escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan in the disputed Kashmir region igniting in recent weeks, Pakistan’s main container gateways of Karachi and Port Qasim are reportedly facing serious congestion after mainline carriers halted direct calls there in the wake of the trade ban with India. The disruption followed a 2 May order by New Delhi, preventing carriers from moving Pakistan-origin cargo through Indian ports – counter restrictions were quickly announced by the Pakistan government. According to multiple industry sources, the sudden ‘tit for tat’ embargo created chaos with little time for shipping lines to plan alternatives, leaving Pakistan exports stranded and boxes dropped off at other Asian transhipment ports, particularly Colombo. Already shipping lines have introduced an EMERGENCY OPERATIONAL RECOVERING SURCHARGE for import and export charge to and from Pakistan. Carriers and charging slightly different quantum’s with rates ranging from U$300-U$500/teu. Should you wish to discuss any of these points, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your key contact @ Transways Logistics International. |
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