Newsletter 04/2025: Current situation in international transport

The Qingming Festival is now underway in China and will last until April 6, while 2 other major holidays are coming up. First up is Labour Day, which will bring China a day off from May 1 to 5. Also coming unusually early this year is the Dragon Boat Festival, and factories will shut down from May 31 to June 2. 

 

Whenever the wheels of Chinese industry and commerce come to a halt for more than a day, expect some pressure on ship locations at least in the week before and after the holiday. Then in May, the 'Christmas' or winter season if you like, usually makes its first appearance, with ships starting to ship in time to make it to Europe at current transit times. 

 

 

On our side of the logistics chain, we also have and will not miss Good Friday (4/18), Easter Monday (4/21), Labor Day (5/1) and Victory Day (5/8). If you count us correctly, that's 4 consecutive weeks with 4 work days. On the one hand, we are all looking forward to. On the other, it's also 4 weeks depleted of one collection or delivery day. Already, due to the unreliability of replenishment, port congestion and infrastructure repairs, scheduling deliveries is already a rather challenging discipline where information changes like the aforementioned April weather. 

 

It is therefore necessary to plan with a certain amount of time tolerance during this period and prepare for possible shifts and changes in delivery. Our customer care department is slowly adding on doses of B-complex vitamins to guide you through this period as best as possible. They are tuning in with operators on how best to work with limited capacity, changing ship arrival and departure dates, and loading and unloading. Because if you book a train to/from the port on time, and consequently the capacity of the tractor, you can "spill" everything and start all over again when you change the arrival. 

 

In the Moravian regions, then you have to take into account a closure on the railway network to Zlín, terminal Želechovice, specifically in the period 16.04.2025 from 07:10 h - 22.04.2025 until 17:05 h due to construction activities. 

 

Even faster than the April weather, the measures, tariffs and moods on the American tradelane are changing. 

Currently, the biggest issues affecting us logistically are the imposition of tariffs on European automotive at 25% and other goods at 20%, freshly confirmed by Donald Trump.

The second nail in the coffin of free trade could be the so-called USTR 301, i.e. charging non-US or Chinese ships using US ports. Hearings have been held on the latter and we should know the outcome or recommendations for further developments around mid-April. Anyone who could comment on the subject has done so, and they have not been very favorable predictions, if implementation occurs. The charge would affect almost all shipowners because it targets not only Chinese ships in US ports but, as some articles have reported, shipowners who have a Chinese-built ship in their fleet. Calculations speak of sums in excess of USD 1 million for 'berthing' or mooring a ship, an amount on a par with a passage through the Suez Canal. The increase in cost would be significant and would affect shipping at a global level. And, through changes, to ship schedules, and thus would again negatively affect the reliability of schedules. 

 

 

(AIR) EXPORTS TO USA

At the moment, these fluctuations in expectations are mostly reflected in air freight to the US, when importers are buying in an attempt to pre-stock and avoid possible increased import tariffs. The situation is not dramatic, but we advise planning. Booking well in advance can save you some costs compared to flying out during the same week. 

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