Finally, after some troubled years, it's mainly good news when it comes to logistics from China! Importers will remember the infamous high costs of 2021 when sending a container from China to the USA cost upwards of US$20,000...well, things have changed for the better in 2023, and in this post, we're going to explore why and what challenges may still lie ahead during the year. … [Read more...]
The Shipping & Logistics Situation in the USA (July 2022 and beyond)
In this episode… Sofeast's CEO Renaud Anjoran is joined again by US East-Coast supply chain and logistics expert, Marshall Taplits founder of Ship It Done. We have 3 main questions for Marshall: What is the logistics situation like now in the USA, what will it be like for the rest of 2022, and what might it be like a few years from now? They also both give their thoughts on cost drivers, energy costs, trucking legislation, near-shoring, China's role, and more. If you're interested in … [Read more...]
Sea freight costs falling in summer ‘22. Too early to celebrate?
Two years ago in June 2020 international sea freight costs started their slow climb to unprecedented levels. No importers with supply chains abroad were safe from ballooning costs. Shipping from any manufacturing hub was affected, China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Myanmar, India, Turkey, and Mexico; the location just didn’t matter as long as goods needed to be loaded onto container ships and transported across the oceans. Now, in June 2022, sea freight costs have started falling. What can we … [Read more...]
North American Supply Chain Problems: Major Constraints
Last week, we recorded and published a podcast entitled Why Are American Logistics Struggling In Late 2021? which goes into detail about the various North American supply chain problems and is getting a lot of downloads. In that podcast, I interviewed Marshall Taplits, founder of Ship It Done (a USA-based 3PL warehouse and e-commerce fulfillment center). He did a great job explaining why getting products into the States is difficult these days. Long-time reader Brad Pritts sent me some … [Read more...]
Why Are American Logistics Struggling In Late 2021? [Podcast]
![Why Are American Logistics Struggling In Late 2021? [Podcast]](https://qualityinspection.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/WhyAreAmericanLogisticsStrugglingInLate2021Podcast-1140x445.jpeg)
In this episode… There's been a lot of talk in the media about America's broken supply chain. Rising costs, shipping delays, lack of port capacity, internal haulage issues, and more have dogged importers throughout the pandemic and are providing a bleak outlook this Christmas for many companies. But why are US logistics under so much strain? What's going wrong and how and when might it be fixed? Is there an end in sight to logjams at ports? Renaud is joined by American supply chain and … [Read more...]
Incoterms 2020: Simple Rules of Thumb To Pick the Right Term
Clients often ask us what their incoterm options are when it comes to shipping by sea. Our typical answer is "most buyers go for FOB, so that's probably what you want to do". But that's a bit short. Let's look in more detail at how to select the right option for our needs from all the Incoterms 2020 list. … [Read more...]
How Did Sea Freight End Up In Such An Expensive Mess In 2021? [Podcast]
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In this episode... Renaud is joined this week by global logistics expert Jon Monroe who boasts over 30 years in the logistics industry and has a strong focus on Transpacific trade. They discuss the current global sea freight crisis (in June/July 2021) that is hitting a lot of importers with both towering costs and delays and explore how we came to this point while dispelling certain misconceptions. Jon also gives some insight into the situation in the USA specifically, but touches on other … [Read more...]
Shipping under FOB vs CIF terms?
Regarding FOB vs CIF incoterms, I found an interesting article in the latest edition of the ChaINA magazine (published by the Global Supply Chain Council). It warns importers against accepting CIF (Cost-Insurance-Freight) shipping terms rather than the more conventional FOB (Freight On Board) terms. There are two reasons for that. First, importers often end up paying the freight twice (once to their supplier, and then again in abnormal port & terminal charges): International freight … [Read more...]