Freight Market Update: April 2023

logistics market update april 2023

Monthly Highlights

Chatbots Are Stepping Toward Supply Chains

Chatbots are increasingly used in supply chain management because they allow businesses to have an automated way of communicating with their suppliers, saving both parties time and money. Chatbots can do a wide variety of tasks, including providing real-time updates on order status, tracking shipments, and invoicing processing. Chatbots are part of a larger digitization movement in supply chain management that has the goal of saving businesses time and money.

Despite their usefulness, chatbots are not a panacea; in order to reap their rewards, businesses need to devote resources to training and upkeep. Chatbots can facilitate faster processing times, manage enormous volumes of data, increase accuracy, and eliminate errors. But before introducing chatbots into supply chain management, we need to handle possible dangers like data breaches and mistakes.

Supply chain management chatbot implementation requires careful planning, including risk assessments, staff training, and regular upkeep. Chatbots, despite their inherent dangers, have quickly become an indispensable resource for businesses moving toward fully digital supply chain management. If implemented correctly, chatbots have the potential to significantly improve supply chain management and increase efficiency and effectiveness.

Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chatbots-are-stepping-toward-supply-chains-5661039a

Container shipping sees signs of a bottom

According to FreightWaves, the container transport industry appears to have bottomed out. The Drewry World Container Index shows that container shipping rates have increased by 360% since touching bottom in the middle of 2020. Although the market is still turbulent, many analysts feel that container shipping has survived the brunt of the pandemic’s effects, with demand for products remaining high.

The shortage of containers and port congestion are just two of the issues causing shipping delays and expense increases, as the report points out. Some industry members, however, are certain that these problems may be solved eventually, leading to more efficient operations and more profits.

The bulk of commodities are still delivered by sea, making the container shipping business crucial to global trade despite the difficulties. Even while the market is still highly volatile, the industry’s efforts to adjust to the challenges posed by the pandemic and other disruptions are beginning to bear fruit.

Source: https://www.freightwaves.com/news/container-shipping-sees-more-signs-of-a-bottom-at-least-for-now

Slowdown Dents Warehouse Construction and Forces Automation

According to The Loadstar, developers are shifting their focus from new warehouse construction to automation as demand drops due to the worldwide downturn in commerce. Companies in the logistics sector are increasingly turning to automation as a means of raising productivity while simultaneously lowering expenses, as noted in this article.

The essay argues that automation can help the logistics industry deal with issues including labor shortages, price increases, and the growing need to fulfill online orders. Robotics, AI, and self-driving cars are just a few of the increasingly common forms of automation technology.

The essay acknowledges that while automation has numerous advantages, it also has drawbacks, such as the necessity for large initial investments and the possibility of job displacement. Some professionals, however, argue that the potential for enhanced efficiency and profitability more than outweighs the hazards of automation.

Companies in the logistics sector are increasingly turning to automation in an effort to adapt to the industry’s fast-paced environment and remain competitive. While a drop in warehouse building is cause for concern, it does present an opportunity for businesses to future-proof themselves by putting money into automated systems.

Source: https://theloadstar.com/slowdown-dents-warehouse-construction-and-forces-automation/

Ocean Freight Market Update

Demand is still quite modest, in part because of Ramadan, which is currently taking place.

Even with the implementation of blank sailings by carriers in an effort to more effectively manage freight costs, there is still a significant amount of capacity available.

The carriers have reported record results for the year 2022, but the market is expected to look significantly different in 2023.

Asia

As a result of Ramadan’s effects, the Middle Eastern and Red Sea Market has seen a decline in prices. But beware; if more flights are canceled by airlines, prices may rise to pre-Covid levels. 

Europe

The blank sailing program continues to strike a balance between supply and demand, which will result in vessels operating at full capacity in the weeks to come.

North America

The port situation is stable on both the East Coast and the West Coast, and as a result of a decline in demand, vessel dwell times are getting shorter from week to week. The GRI that was supposed to take place on April 1 has been moved to April 15 due to a decrease in customer demand.

Air Freight Update

Recent labor disruptions at West Coast Ports have shut down the port and are expected to have lasting effects on traffic via the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and the rest of the West Coast.

There is evidence of advancement in the nearshoring trend in the first quarter of 2023 at Mexico’s ports, and this positive trend may continue throughout the year.

As the busy summer season approaches, new air services and expanded routes should provide additional cargo capacity to and from the United States.

Asia

Hong Kong International Airport is the busiest cargo airport in the world, with 4.2 million metric tons passing through in 2022 despite a 16.4% decline in cargo throughput owing to COVID and personnel limits.

China’s Ezhou Huahu Airport, which opened in 2022 and specializes in cargo, has recently introduced its first international lines, with two weekly round-trip flights between China and Europe. By the end of 2023, the airport projects that it will offer 40 domestic destinations and four international routes.

North America

Compared to their summer schedule in 2022, American Airlines has increased its widebody flights by more than 400 per month for the upcoming summer. Increasing the frequency of service on existing routes and introducing new routes fall under this category. It’s projected that the cargo space will expand.

The New York/Boston area will soon have direct international flights on JetBlue to Schipol Airport in Amsterdam. After London in 2021 and Paris later this year, this will be the American airline’s third transatlantic destination. It is anticipated that freight capacity will grow.

The weekly direct freighter service between Bogota, Colombia, and Dallas-Fort Worth Airport is provided by Qatar Airways Cargo. As part of Qatar Airways’ ongoing commitment to the Americas, the airline is launching a new freighter service with a cargo capacity of approximately 100 tons.

Freight Market and Amazon News

  • Amazon’s ACX helps retailers identify and track counterfeit products to combat organized crime and fraud.

Amazon (AMZN.O) established its Anti-Counterfeiting Exchange (ACX) to enable retail shops to identify and monitor marketplace counterfeits to combat organized crime on its platform.  US online marketplaces have counterfeiters and fraudulent goods in their warehouses. The new tool replicates credit card data sharing platforms to identify crooks and their methods.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/amazon-launches-program-identify-track-counterfeiters-2023-04-20/ 

  • May 2 and 3, Amazon Pet Day will offer 48 hours of pet savings.

Amazon is commemorating National Pet Month by reintroducing Amazon Pet Day, a 48-hour event that has thousands of pet-related goods for sale, ranging from treats and toys to habitats and supplies. The event begins on Tuesday, May 2, at 12:00 a.m. PDT and finishes on Wednesday, May 3, at 11:59 p.m. PDT. It features discounts such as 20% off select Purina pet food and treats and 30% off Furbo dog cams, among other things. Amazon Pets is also providing $100,000 to local animal welfare charities, and PetIQ will provide free vaccines for dogs in certain local areas. Every day, Prime members can save even more on pet supplies, including free shipping and free streaming of pet movies and shows on Prime Video.

Source: https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/what-is-amazon-pet-day  

  • Customers will be charged a fee by Amazon for select UPS returns.

Amazon is taking additional tactics to discourage the large number of customer returns, such as charging a $1 fee for returns to UPS locations when a Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh food store, or Kohl’s is closer to the delivery address. To avoid the cost, the business has also added a badge to product listings for goods with a high return rate and urges shoppers to return things to Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh, or Kohl’s. Other stores, such as Zara and H&M, are instituting surcharges or shortening return windows in order to counteract high return rates, which cost merchants billions of dollars each year and frequently result in returned items ending up in landfills. 

Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/12/business/amazon-returns-ups-store-fee/index.html 

Forceget Digital Freight Forwarder is a leading NVOCC licensed global logistics company that specializes in parcel, air and ocean shipping. With offices in key locations such as the USA, China, Hong Kong, Turkey, Israel and Colombia, we are well-positioned to assist you with all your logistics and brokerage needs, no matter where you are located. We take care of all the complexities of international shipping, allowing you to focus on what you do best – competing in your local market. Additionally, we pride ourselves on being the number one Amazon FBA focused freight forwarder, ensuring that your products are delivered to Amazon warehouses in a timely and cost-effective manner. With Forceget, you can have peace of mind knowing that your global logistics needs are in expert hands.