CMA CGM restricts bookings to South China through January [Kèm IPA]

⏩ siː-ɛm-eɪ siː-ʤiː-ɛm rɪsˈtrɪkts ˈbʊkɪŋz tuː saʊθ ˈʧaɪnə θruː ˈʤænjʊəri

CMA CGM restricts bookings to South China through January

⏩ frɛnʧ ˈlaɪnə siː-ɛm-eɪ siː-ʤiː-ɛm hæz təʊld ˈkʌstəməz ɪt wɪl rɪsˈtrɪkt ˈbʊkɪŋz fɔː ˈʃɪpmənts djuː tuː  ˈraɪv æt pɔːts ɪn ˈsʌðən ˈʧaɪnə ɪn ˈɜːli 2023, djuː tuː ə səsˈpɛnʃᵊn ɒv ˈsɜːvɪs baɪ ˈfiːdər ænd bɑːʤ ˈɒpəreɪtəz θruː ˈʤænjʊəri.

French liner CMA CGM has told customers it will restrict bookings for shipments due to arrive at ports in southern China in early 2023, due to a suspension of service by feeder and barge operators through January.

⏩ saʊθ ˈʧaɪnə ænd hɒŋ kɒŋ ˈfiːdər ˈɒpəreɪtəz hæv əˈnaʊnst ˈtɛmpərəri ˈsɜːvɪs səsˈpɛnʃᵊnz θruːˈaʊt nɛkst mʌnθ, “djuː tuː ˈkəʊvɪd-19 ˈkwɒrəntiːn rɪˈkwaɪəmənts fɔː ʃɪp kruːz” ˈpraɪə tuː ˌʧaɪˈniːz njuː jɪə, siː-ɛm-eɪ siː-ʤiː-ɛm (ˈɪndɪə) ˈnəʊtɪd ɪn ən ədˈvaɪzəri.

South China and Hong Kong feeder operators have announced temporary service suspensions throughout next month, “due to Covid-19 quarantine requirements for ship crews” prior to Chinese New Year, CMA CGM (India) noted in an advisory.

⏩ “ɪn laɪt ɒv ðɪs ˌsɪtjʊˈeɪʃᵊn, siː-ɛm-eɪ siː-ʤiː-ɛm wɪl biː ˈlɪmɪtɪŋ ˈraʊtɪŋz fɔː ˈkɑːɡəʊ baʊnd tuː saʊθ ˈʧaɪnə pɔːts.”

“In light of this situation, CMA CGM will be limiting routings for cargo bound to South China ports.”

⏩ ɪt sɛd ðə rɪsˈtrɪkʃᵊn wʊd əˈplaɪ tuː ˈkɑːɡəʊ baʊnd fɔː sʌm 30 ˌdɛstɪˈneɪʃᵊnz, ɪnˈkluːdɪŋ θriː ɪn Fujian ˈprɒvɪns, ɒn ˈseɪlɪŋz ˈkɔːlɪŋ æt hɒŋ kɒŋ, Yantian, Nansha ænd Shekou, ɪn ˈʤænjʊəri.

It said the restriction would apply to cargo bound for some 30 destinations, including three in Fujian province, on sailings calling at Hong Kong, Yantian, Nansha and Shekou, in January.

⏩ haʊˈɛvə, ðə ˈkærɪə hæz sʌm ɪkˈsɛpʃᵊnz fɔː trænˈʃɪpmənt ˈvaɪə Xiamen, hɒŋ kɒŋ, Nansha ænd Shekou fɔː “draɪ ˈkɑːɡəʊ” ˈəʊnli, wɪð əˈdɪʃənl ˈfiːdə ˈsɜːʧɑːʤɪz tuː biː ˈsɛtld ɛksˈtɜːnli.

However, the carrier has some exceptions for transhipment via Xiamen, Hong Kong, Nansha and Shekou for “dry cargo” only, with additional feeder surcharges to be settled externally.

⏩ ðə ˈkærɪər ˈɔːlsəʊ wɔːnd ɪt wʊd biː ˈpiːnəlaɪzɪŋ ˌkɒnsaɪˈniːz wɪð trænˈʃɪpmənt ˈkɑːɡəʊ ˈaɪdlɪŋ mɔː ðæn 14 deɪz æt hɒŋ kɒŋ, Nansha, Shekou, Yantian ænd Xiamen.

The carrier also warned it would be penalising consignees with transhipment cargo idling more than 14 days at Hong Kong, Nansha, Shekou, Yantian and Xiamen.

⏩ əˈkɔːdɪŋ tuː ðə ˌmɑːˈseɪ-beɪst ˈkʌmpəni, ˈnɔːməl ˈsɜːvɪsɪz ɑːr ɪksˈpɛktɪd tuː rɪˈzjuːm ɪn ˈɜːli ˈfɛbrʊəri, ˈsʌbʤɪkt tuː ˈfɜːðər ʌpˈdeɪts frɒm ˈfiːdər ˈɒpəreɪtəz.

According to the Marseille-based company, normal services are expected to resume in early February, subject to further updates from feeder operators.

⏩ ðə ˈləʊdstɑː wɒz ʌnˈeɪbᵊl tuː kənˈfɜːm ðɪs ˈsɜːvɪs dɪsˈrʌpʃᵊn wɪð ˈʌðə ˈkærɪəz.

The Loadstar was unable to confirm this service disruption with other carriers.

⏩ beɪˈʒɪŋz strɪkt ˈkəʊvɪd-19 ˈpɒlɪsiz ˈriːsntli spɑːkt ˈwaɪdsprɛd ˈprəʊtɛsts əˈkrɒs ðə ˈkʌntri, ˈfɔːsɪŋ ðə ˈɡʌvnmənt tuː ˌriːkənˈsɪdə ðə ˈmɛʒəz. ðə rɪˈnjuːd pænˈdɛmɪk ʌnˈrɛst hæz ˈteɪkən ə təʊl ɒn ən ɔːlˈrɛdi ˈwiːkənɪŋ dɪˈmɑːnd ˈaʊtlʊk, ˈliːvɪŋ ˈkærɪəz wɪð nəʊ ˈʌðər ˈɒpʃᵊn bʌt tuː pleɪ tuː ðə ˈmɑːkɪt ˈfɔːsɪz, ɪn tɜːmz ɒv ˈpraɪsɪŋ.

Beijing’s strict Covid-19 policies recently sparked widespread protests across the country, forcing the government to reconsider the measures. The renewed pandemic unrest has taken a toll on an already weakening demand outlook, leaving carriers with no other option but to play to the market forces, in terms of pricing.

⏩ ˈɪntrə-ˈeɪʒə reɪts aʊt ɒv ˈɪndɪə hæv kuːld sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəntli – fɔːr ɪɡˈzɑːmpl, naʊ ˈhɒvərɪŋ æt əˈbaʊt $500 pɜː 20ft bɒks ænd $750 pɜː 40ft bɒks frɒm wɛst ˈɪndɪə (Nhava Sheva/Mundra) tuː saʊθ ˈʧaɪnə (Yantian), ˈmɑːkɪt ˈsɔːsɪz təʊld ðə ˈləʊdstɑː.

Intra-Asia rates out of India have cooled significantly – for example, now hovering at about $500 per 20ft box and $750 per 40ft box from West India (Nhava Sheva/Mundra) to South China (Yantian), market sources told The Loadstar.

⏩ “ðə ˌsteɪbɪlaɪˈzeɪʃᵊn ɒv freɪt reɪts wɒz ˈɔːlweɪz ɪksˈpɛktɪd, æz ðə reɪts ˈdjʊərɪŋ ðə pænˈdɛmɪk wɜːr ˌʌnrɪəˈlɪstɪk,” sɛd Sunil Vaswani, ɪɡˈzɛkjʊtɪv dɪˈrɛktər ɒv ðə kənˈteɪnə ˈʃɪpɪŋ laɪnz əˌsəʊsɪˈeɪʃᵊn. “ðə spiːd æt wɪʧ ðə reɪts drɒpt ɪz wɒt wɒz ˌʌnɪksˈpɛktɪd.”

“The stabilization of freight rates was always expected, as the rates during the pandemic were unrealistic,” said Sunil Vaswani, executive director of the Container Shipping Lines Association. “The speed at which the rates dropped is what was unexpected.”

(Source: English Article from VSG)