LOGISTICS
Germany's Kiel Canal reopens / Country reports fewer delivery bottlenecks / Freight rates largely unchanged
 Shipping traffic on the Kiel Canal has been running again for a few days (Photo: WSA NOK) |
Welcome back, logistics enthusiasts. Let’s start the new year with some good news: according to information from the Germany’s ifo Institute (Munich; www.ifo.de), supply bottlenecks in German industry have continued to decline. On average, just under half of the companies surveyed said materials were difficult to obtain. This is nine percentage points less than in November and marks the third month of improvement in a row. However, the automotive and electrical industries are still among the hardest hit sectors, with 75% and 63% companies, respectively, reporting delivery problems.
The Kiel Canal has been reopened to shipping traffic on both sides. The waterway, which is important for German inland shipping, was closed on 21 December after about 300,000 litres of oil leaked from a defective pipeline near Brunsbüttel. The clean-up work is expected to continue until the end of January. It was the second closure of the canal within a short period: at the beginning of the month, a crane damaged the Holtenau elevated bridges (see Plasteurope.com of 01.12.2022).
The new year, however, brings with it some old problems, at least in the UK. The discontented working class is giving renewed emphasis to its demands for better labour conditions and higher wages. Besides nursing staff, paramedics, teachers, bus drivers, and – most importantly for logistics – railway workers went on strike. The RMT and Aslef unions called their members to walkout during the first week of January. Around 40,000 stayed away from their jobs, which paralysed rail services on the island. The massive disruption across rail network meant that neither passengers nor freight could be transported.
The Kiel Canal has been reopened to shipping traffic on both sides. The waterway, which is important for German inland shipping, was closed on 21 December after about 300,000 litres of oil leaked from a defective pipeline near Brunsbüttel. The clean-up work is expected to continue until the end of January. It was the second closure of the canal within a short period: at the beginning of the month, a crane damaged the Holtenau elevated bridges (see Plasteurope.com of 01.12.2022).
The new year, however, brings with it some old problems, at least in the UK. The discontented working class is giving renewed emphasis to its demands for better labour conditions and higher wages. Besides nursing staff, paramedics, teachers, bus drivers, and – most importantly for logistics – railway workers went on strike. The RMT and Aslef unions called their members to walkout during the first week of January. Around 40,000 stayed away from their jobs, which paralysed rail services on the island. The massive disruption across rail network meant that neither passengers nor freight could be transported.
Freight rates
China - North American West Coast, unchanged at USD 1,550 (EUR 1,476)
China - North American East Coast, unchanged at USD 3,600
China - Northern Europe, up 10.5% from the previous week to USD 3,200
China - Southern Europe, unchanged at USD 4,000
Northern Europe - China, unchanged at USD 700
Southern Europe - China, unchanged at USD 900
North American East Coast - Northern Europe, down 10% from the previous week to at USD 900
Northern Europe - North American East Coast, unchanged at USD 6,650
China - North American East Coast, unchanged at USD 3,600
China - Northern Europe, up 10.5% from the previous week to USD 3,200
China - Southern Europe, unchanged at USD 4,000
Northern Europe - China, unchanged at USD 700
Southern Europe - China, unchanged at USD 900
North American East Coast - Northern Europe, down 10% from the previous week to at USD 900
Northern Europe - North American East Coast, unchanged at USD 6,650
06.01.2023 Plasteurope.com [251863-0]
Published on 06.01.2023
German version of this article...