International moving update 31/03/22
International Moving continues to be impacted by the issues affecting global freight. Although there have been signs of a reduction in freight prices for some locations, the challenges remain.
Rising COVID infection rates, including the Omicron variant, affect workforce availability at seaports. Other services vital to moving, such as warehousing and trucking, are suffering from delays that cause bottlenecks. North American destinations are particularly affected by this.
The current COVID lockdown restrictions in Shanghai (as well as other lockdowns across mainland China) impact its seaport (the world’s busiest) and surrounding airports. Therefore, carriers are seeking alternative routes.
The tragic impact of the ongoing war in Eastern Europe, the resulting sanctions and the increasing fuel prices are all being felt across the world.
Global outlook
The United States and Canada
The West Coast remains one of the worst affected areas as congestion in Los Angeles continues to cause issues. Heavy demand on the East Coast results has resulted in limited space.
Latin America and the Caribbean
Due to restricted availability, demand remains very high which impacts pricing.
Asia
Carriers are keen to get their containers back to Asia; therefore, additional capacity has been introduced. Pricing may not fall as fast as originally expected due to the COVID situation in China.
Oceania
Continued congestion in the transhipment ports, e.g., Singapore, Hong Kong, etc., continues to impede this service with an impact on pricing.
Middle East & Mediterranean
Services have been removed; therefore, rates and transit times have increased significantly.
South Africa
Service to any destination other than main ports is challenging. Inland trucking and infrastructure support are also becoming very difficult. Pricing however remains stable.
West and East Africa
Services remain restricted and prices remain high.
India and the subcontinent
There’s been a marginal improvement in India and the subcontinent over the previous year; therefore, shipping to these regions should generally not be an issue. This has led to marginal pricing increases.
Santa Fe offers the following recommendations
Advance planning
Be sure to book early. Santa Fe will assist with early scheduling to obtain the best timings and rates. We can also make sure that all the required paperwork is in order before shipping to minimise the chance of delays.
Transportation and storage
Consider alternative methods of transport such as air freight for time-sensitive items. Storage can also help with the current uncertainty of timings. Santa Fe has access to multiple freight and warehousing locations throughout our own global network and at our carefully selected partners, giving our customers the widest choice of possible solutions.
Costs and timings
Be prepared to buffer your budget and allow for transit time changes. Santa Fe will do its best to ensure moves arrive on schedule. Still, delays and unforeseen additional charges can occur in this unstable period.
We’re here to help
Our top priority is to ensure the safety of our customers and employees during the delivery of services. So, get in touch with your local Santa Fe Relocation representative or email emergency.support@santaferelo.com to discuss how we can support you with any of your relocation requirements.
The Santa Fe Relocation team
