TRADE MARKET TENSIONS EUROPE-ASIA IMPORT

Dear Partners,

In addition to your regular contacts with our teams, we aim to inform you through our "Flash News" when the situation calls for it. To this end and following the deterioration of the maritime environment in recent weeks, it seems appropriate to send you this statement.

Indeed, in recent days we have begun to feel the effects of the Chinese Golden Week holiday – a reduction in blanked capacity for shipping companies. 

In order to be able to best meet all your needs, it seems necessary to inform you that anticipation of your orders upstream is imperative. It will allow us to better meet your requirements in terms of deadlines. 

Below are some explanations to help you understand the reasons behind this sudden resumption in container shipping demand:

• Although we have returned to a pre-Covid-19 capability, demand continues to escalate, and it outstrips supply;
• Successive "Blank Sailings" set up by shipping companies have disrupted ship rotations;
• Most carriers are experiencing equipment shortages at Asian main ports which increases the delay in the release of cargo at the port of departure; 
• Some shipping transporters favour other shipping routes such as the transpacific for cost-effectiveness issues. 

While the pricing environment may be on the rise, our structured organization will allow us to meet all of your requests and our teams are working hard to achieve this. However, we need to rely on your anticipation to ensure that your cargo is as secure as possible.

Thank you once again for your trust.