Portugal Strike extended Dockworkers at the port of Lisbon have announced an extension of their strike action from June 1, 2020 at 8AM to 8AM July 6, 2020.  Due the disruption in operations from the existing strike, most shipping lines have omitted Lisbon port calls from vessel schedules.  Until operations resume at Lisbon, customers will pending orders can divert freight to sail from Leixões or alternative ports; please inquire for more information. US Memorial Day Holiday NASA and Hillebrand office…

Impact on ports: 20-30% drop in volumes for the first half Port terminals across North America are assessing the impact of COVID-19 on first quarter results.  According to the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), US ports are projecting a 20 to 30 percent volume drop in the first half of this year.  The AAPA has sought Congressional grants for ports to maintain workforces and port employer associations have asked for federal grants to support spending on cleaning and personal…

Shipping updates As port terminals reduce adjust operations and policies to manage vessel schedules, volumes and equipment turnaround, the operations teams at Hillebrand continue to work around schedules to meet customer’s delivery expectations as best they can.  Ocean carriers continue to cancel or “blank” sailings on all key corridors to maximize efficiency on remaining vessels.  Equipment availability varies widely depending on the origin of goods, but in general reefer availability is more limited.  Information by country on equipment capacity, sailings…

Shipping updates Port terminals across the country continue to reduce hours, shifts or announce closures on a weekly basis depending on volume demand.  Cancelled sailings (blank sailings) and shipping line schedule changes continue on all major shipping corridors so plan for adjusting lead times on new orders and protecting cargo as temperatures rise for summer months.  You can find both international operations and North American port updates on Hillebrand.com. Duties, Taxes & Tariffs You can view US Customs & Border…

Shipping updates Restrictions on wine export from South Africa are expected to resume tomorrow and bookings are planned for May.  We’ll continue to update if there are any changes and we encourage to follow country updates on international operations (port operations, equipment availability and sailing schedules/capacity) updates on Hillebrand.com. Duties, Taxes & Tariffs You can view US Customs & Border Patrol (CBP) CSMS messages and eligibility regarding the COVID-19 related postponement of duties here CSMS 4243171 and CSMS 4241561. Note…

Global Shipping Capacity As global demand is slowing, ocean carriers are adjusting capacity worldwide on every major shipping corridor.  According to industry statistics, 385 vessels have been removed from active fleet which represents roughly 3 million twenty foot equivalents (TEUs) or 10% of the global fleet. Cancelled or “blank” sailings first impacted US ports on the West Coast, but we are seeing slower volumes affecting the Atlantic and Gulf port regions too.  As a result port terminals are adjusting or…

South Africa extends lockdown and suspends wine exports The government of South Africa extended lockdown measures yesterday for another two weeks through April 30th, 2020.  Transportation of wine for export purposes was initially relaxed last week following extensive industry efforts, but again has been suspended as of yesterday in an official press release from the office of Minister Fikile Mbalula (attached).  For more information from industry organizations please reach out to Wines of South Africa or VinPro.  For any questions…

MSC Network Restored Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has restored online services after a network outage this past Friday.  All websites, online booking sites and electronic data interfaces are back in operation. Port of Oakland – OICT Gate Fee to Increase July 6th, 2020 Citing an increased costs of labor wages in the past four years, SSA Marine / Oakland International Container Terminal (OICT) will increase the gate fee from $30 to $35 effective July 6, 2020.  The gate fee was…

Shipping Carrier MSC Network Outage Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) experienced a network outage last Friday and has shut down their websites while they investigate the cause and work to restore services.  Currently this will impact the electronic data interchanges with the carrier.  Our shipping partner Hillebrand is reviewing all active shipments with MSC which will require manual updates until MSC is back online. For more information or questions please connect with your Hillebrand representative and you can login at myHillebrand…