Market Advisory
Must-See Information
The supply chain management and logistics industries move quickly. Our team provides time-sensitive and urgent information about conditions affecting markets around the world. Read more by clicking on one of the stories below.
Suez Fallout and Some Key Shipping Terms You Should Know
Although the memeing of the Ever Given has subsided and any day now we should get an incident report detailing what caused the six-day blockage, shippers and ports around the world are coming to grips with bunches of arriving vessels, equipment feast, and famine. This...
Suez Canal Disruptions Felt Throughout The Industry
The Ever Given is dislodged and the Canal Authority is working to clear the backlog of ships on either side, but the fallout from the previous week has only just begun reverberating through the logistics industry. What looks to many like a problem on another lane, in...
Estimates Range From Days To Weeks To Re-Open Suez Canal
Global supply chains already struggling under the weight of port congestion, exponential rate increases and equipment shortages suffered another shock early this week when on Tuesday the 20,000 TEU Ultra-Large Container Vessel (ULCV) Ever Given blocked a single-lane...
Trucking Capacity Update
The interconnected nature of supply chains—hence the term including the word ‘chain’ overtly implying linkage—means that breaking one link has consequences for the integrity of the entire chain. Beginning with the problems created by container backlogs, shortages and...
Oceanic Challenges Part 2: The Transpacific
Transpacific conditions are worsening for carriers, shippers, and longshoremen. Last week, we cautioned our customers about the challenges on the transatlantic trade but neglected to include the midweek surprise of a three-day strike in Hamburg by port workers at HHLA...
Oceanic Challenges Part 1: The Transatlantic
Transatlantic and transpacific routes are seeing unique and significant challenges. TOC is focused on working with our customers and carriers to provide the best possible service. Whether coming to North America from Europe on the North Atlantic or from Asia on the...
Don’t Let Transpacific News Crowd Out Equal Transatlantic Challenges
We have written multiple times about the ongoing problems with the eastbound transpacific but want to be sure shippers are aware that equal congestion, rate and capacity issues exist on the transatlantic. U.S. exporters are unable to get containers, because carriers...
Hamburg, Germany Closes Terminals, Turns Away Thousands Of Export Containers
NOTE: As we were drafting this message on Monday and Tuesday, the terminals had instituted controls to manage the flow of containers. Now, as of today, Wednesday, December 23rd, bad weather and heavy fog caused Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA) to stop loading...
Changes In Administrations Bring Changes In Agency, Trade Priorities
With changes in administrations come changes in priorities. The incoming Biden/Harris administration will take office and have a number of trade issues on their hands to deal with from day one. The trade issues and relationships that are priority focus items within...
Global Congestion Concerns
The challenges of space, congestion and handling for shippers moving goods globally are real and multifaceted. Our goal is remaining engaged with our customers and ensuring they’re in possession of the most current information to make informed decisions for their...