Insufficient shipping capacity leads to the early end of the Christmas product procurement season

Although there is still a long time to go before the traditional Christmas in the West, the Christmas shopping season has come to an early end in August. The fundamental reason behind the substantial advance of procurement time of foreign trade enterprises is the instability of shipping.

Advance the Christmas stocking season

Since February and March of last year, buyers from all over the country have started to place orders and stock up, two or three months ahead of the previous year, and the peak season of production and sales of Christmas supplies has arrived ahead of schedule. Exports began to grow in May and were nearing the end in August. The fundamental factor for overseas customers to prepare goods ahead of schedule for Christmas is the shortage of shipping capacity.

Under the influence of the overseas epidemic, the shortage of dock workers, dock congestion and suspension of navigation have occurred from time to time, the efficiency of ship turnover has declined, and the relationship between supply and demand has been seriously unbalanced. Since the third and fourth quarters of last year, there has been a shortage of space and a shortage of one box. Now, not only has it not been alleviated, but the shortage of transport capacity is also increasing.

Increase in sea freight

Christmas supplies are time-sensitive goods, which will be hit once a certain time has passed. Therefore, foreign customers and domestic foreign trade enterprises have made early preparations to order and ship in advance.

In addition to the race against time, foreign trade enterprises also have to race against the freight rate. The impact of the epidemic has made the freight rate continue to rise. Just a few days ago, the Baltic Sea Global Container Freight Index showed that the freight rate of the route from China to the East of the United States exceeded $20000 per 40 feet, up 500% year on year; In addition, the Shanghai export container freight index of spot prices, which was recorded at 4281.53 points, continued to set a record high, up more than 400% from the lowest point last year.