Newsletter 01/2025: Actual situation in international transport

We are always much happier when we can inform you about happy and positive events and trends in logistics. These have been plentiful in the past year. We are therefore delighted that the new year 2025 and its progress so far allow us to write this newsletter as a list of mostly good news. We wish that this year develops in such a spirit for you.

CHINESE NEW YEAR

Like every year, life in China grinds to a halt after the start of Europe thanks to the Chinese New Year celebrations. This year, the holiday officially falls on Jan. 28, 2025 to Feb. 4, 2025. However, we have information that, just like here during the Christmas period, some companies in China will take the opportunity to close earlier.

Therefore, when planning a loading from 18.1.2025 onwards, you should always check that the shipper and the loading point will be open. As usual, ships can and will continue to depart during the holiday, albeit with limited capacity, but goods must be in port and cleared through customs.

Our agents will be out of service as follows:

Offices:

Warehouses:

OCEAN IMPORT FROM ASIA

The situation in import shipping, as we indicated in the introduction, is positively stable. As was the case 2 years ago, prices have taken a favourable direction for buying. At the same time, it is good to find space on ships and import services. So if a manufacturer has prepared last minute goods for you before CNY, you need not worry and despair. Assuming the factory is open the goods will be loaded and booked onto the ship at a reasonable price.

The only blemish in this regard is the import from the Bay of Bengal territory, where one has to watch out for the service, which can get stuck for a whole month at the Colombo translation. Nothing we can't handle by using another alternative though.

At the same time, we have previously informed you of the changing services in preparation for the new shipping alliances and the somewhat chaotic replenishments, with ports of delivery and arrival alternating. This too is stabilising and the services are starting to sit down. They are not speeding up, of course, but even their stability can make the whole chain faster in the aggregate.

EXPRESS SERVICE FROM NINGBO

Current position of the ship:

THE U.S. EAST COAST TERMINAL STRIKE AND THE SITUATION IN LOS ANGELES

 

The news from Los Angeles, of course, is not so positive. However, purely from the point of view of shipping, it is reassuring that the port is relatively far from the fires and should not be affected in any way. However, it must of course be borne in mind in this area that some addresses may not be available and that the capacity of, for example, deliveries and collections may be limited.

 

RAIL TRANSPORT 

FROM ASIA

The northern route was again freed up for the transport of some goods, or sanctions from the Russian side were slightly eased. However, it remains the case that as a matter of reliability, we verify in advance on the basis of HS codes that the goods are not subject to sanctions and that they will not be stopped and detained on the territory of the Russian Federation. Transit time is kept between 30-35 days.

 

We will be happy to discuss possible pre- and post-CNY loadings and departures with you individually, and thanks to the variability, we are sure to find a suitable solution without delay. However, what will not be delivered by 20 January will probably not be delivered to the warehouses until the second half of February.

 

On the southern route, trains on the route were suspended due to severe weather conditions that did not allow for ship docking and transferring from the train and some containers were delayed for up to 2 weeks. However, this too has improved and according to the latest reports, containers and trains are now moving again.

However, it is still prudent to take this risk into account and to plan deliveries in view of possible delays.

 

 

FROM TURKEY

We are happy to announce that not only are the departures regular, but also, and above all, the weight limits have been increased. It is possible to load up to 25.5 tonnes of goods. This cannot be matched by road transport, especially due to the weight limits in Hungary. Carriers are resisting even 23 tons of goods and train service is thus comparable in volume (45FT containers) and can carry more in weight at competitive prices.

 

We will be happy to prepare a specific quote for you at rail@wakestone.cz

 

AIR TRANSPORT

For air imports from China, virtually the same observation applies as for sea shipments. Prices have not shot up; on the contrary, they are at a reasonable, one might say low, level for this time. So even here you need not be concerned that goods that were produced just before CNY and rushed will spoil the start of the new year with their shipping costs.

 

Overall, the situation in air freight is optimistic, both in the import and export direction. Rates to the US are also stable thanks to the averted strike of the marine terminals, there is no need to worry about a lack of space due to risk diversification.

And towards China, there is still a disproportionate movement of goods against exports, and air rates in that direction may pleasantly surprise you.