Covid Update # 8

Country by Country quick update:

UAE

• New rules from Carrier ONE– IMPORTS = Cargo to be cleared to allow transport from terminal and documents must be lodged with carrier no later than 28 hours prior to vessel berthing
• All cleared cargo both essential & non-essential must move at least within the first 3 days free time from the terminal
• Failure to move cargo means carrier will move to an overstay depot with all costs for customer account.
• DETENTION = The period 27th March – 16th April will be frozen and considered ‘free days’ for Import & Export detention calculations
• Expo 2020 takes the decision to postpone for 1 year and will take place on 21st April 2021
• Disinfection Drive extended to 24 hours for 2 further weeks in Dubai – Individuals are not allowed to leave the house except for essential purposes (Move permit required for each trip) or if working in vital areas
• Dubai metro service suspended
• Emirates resumed its special flights after suspension, first flight left Dubai Monday 6th April and landed in Frankfurt in the afternoon. Other European cities to be services are London / Paris / Brussels & Zurich
• Commercial activities in Dubai to remain closed until April 18th
• Etihad Airways will add more special flights out of Abu Dhabi to Melbourne and Amsterdam – The flights also support he ‘UAE Food security programme’ by utilizing belly-hold capacity of passenger aircraft for cargo. In addition Etihad is operating to flights also to Seoul, Manila & Jakarta.
• Fly Dubai starts booking tickets to India & Pakistan from next week – However the resumption of flights to both countries is still subject to approval from the Governments. These are repatriation flights only.
• RTA have temporarily lifted the ban on the movement of empty trucks weighting 2.5 Tons on roads in Dubai
• UAE Courier companies implementing a ‘emergency situation surcharge’ effective from 1st April

INDIA –

• Mumbai All cross-border transport, with the exception of the transport of goods with system-critical goods, has been suspended.
• Sea freight = Carriers Maersk / MSC / CMA, Hapag Lloyd and Cosco have started to skip JNPT & Mundra port due no exports and import clearances are not happening
• The carrier ONE, Safmarine & OOCL are offering Import free detention period 25th March til 14th April 2020 – MSC & Maersk are offering Import free detention period 25th March til 7th April 2020
• Rail freight = running ok for Mumbai, Vizag, Mundra, Bangalore, Hyderabad & Kolkata / Airfreight = Urgent Pharma air exports by freighters are taking place Air India suspends all flight bookings until April 30th
• Road freight = Delhi border closed Chennai restrictions now relaxed but with congested
• Ahmedabad, Mundra, Bangalore, Tuticorin very limited movement - Hyderabad & Vizag no truck movement due to dealing of state borders –

SRI LANKA –

• Sri Lankan airlines suspends operations from April 8th to 21st / Only essential services are allowed to move in Colombo

PAKISTAN –

• Airfreight = Airfreight continues to be operative with limited freights on extremely high freight rates. / Sea freight = Now seeing signs of slowing down due to 21 days lock down in India as most vessels call via India.

THAILAND –

• Airfreight = Impact on rate/space due to passenger flight cancellations, bookings are happening but mainly through freighter or charter operations
• Sea freight operating as normal apart from some blank sailings
• Road freight = between Thailand and Laos only essential cargo allowed to transport unless you have a ministry letter to approve the movement

JORDAN –

• Shipping & Logistics declared an essential service
• Aqaba port functioning normally and will grant Importers 14 days free storage instead of 6 days for imports from 17th March onwards (this is valid for 2 months)
• All borders are closed

ISRAEL –

• sea freight = ports are fully active / no container shortages / all commodities are permitted – airfreight = airport is fully operational, increased activity & increased rates, lack of space – customs = working normally national holiday 8th & 9th April – road freight = no restrictions – rail freight = rail transfer between Ashdod & Haifa is suspended

QATAR –

• Qatar airways is adding to the freighter capacity using all-cargo aircraft and passenger planes in cargo only mode to meet high demand for moving fresh produce and meat, pharmaceuticals & general cargo in Australia / India / Kuwait, Oman & the Netherlands.

TUNISIA –

• Operations in ports very slow due to 50% staffing / customs & warehouses open 0800 til 1400 daily / Inland transport ok during 6am-6pm police permit now only required between 1800 – 0600 Hrs .
• Sea freight imports priority for medical & foodstuffs others on case by case – exports fully permitted as a priority / Airfreight = Freight flights operating to TUN / MIR / NBE – NO clearance for general cargo / Borders closed with Algeria for truck movements

S AFRICA –

• Sea freight = Durban container terminal Pier 2 reduced to 2 berths / DCT Pier 1 , NCT, PECT & CTCT will operate a single berth only.
• All automotive terminals are closed
• Essential containers will be prioritized over non-essential containers – non essential goods will be moved from the terminal to a depot by the shipping line / nationwide curfew issued until 16th April 2020
• 35 or 53 land borders have been closed
• Non-essential goods are not allowed to be moved by road
• Consol operators have cancelled their services
• Airfreight = DUR is not accepting any cargo
• CPT JNB is only accepting essential cargo bookings
• Currently limited chance of operation by a few airlines ex JNB
• Customs = Still operational but no visits or face to face meetings

UKRAINE –

• Freight transport is still running through borders

RUSSIA –

• The borders for freight are open
• Passenger and charter flights are suspended from March 27th – Cargo flights excluded from the ban

USA –

• Ports of Seattle & Tacoma still operating normally but handling less cargo / US relaxes laws on import tariffs for Chinese medical supplies
• Airfreight pricing is volatile & space is limited – response time is horrific no discounts to 90% of destinations
• Truckers are looking for LTL cargo loads / No restrictions on domestic freight moves
• Shortage of container equipment at locations in the US Midwest & the Gulf areas
• North American importers cutting bookings, delaying Asian cargo
• Baltimore terminal to close 6th & 7th April due to volume decline. Port of Long Beach is open & running
• Carriers are now starting to offer storage to avoid demurrage costs The port of Alaska at Anchorage will continue to operate for sea freight even though work at home and travel restrictions are in place.
• Documentation – Embassy’s & consulates expect delays with documentation due to staff shortages

BRAZIL –

• Airfreight = Cargo aircraft as operating but are few so rates are high
• Customs = operating with half capacity due to quarantine, all cargo needs physical inspection so average is 5 days to get release
• Sea freight = vessels being received at port but again customs & terminals are working at half capacity and taking time to release cargoes.

CANADA –

• Airfreight = IAG cargo is adding an additional freight with a daily service in Toronto starting April 8th this bring LHR connections to 7 flights per week. Airfreight rates soar as Carriers abandon contracted rates, clients now being pressed to make a quick decision to book to secure space, but rates are also making airfreight out of reach for some clients
• Transport of goods still possible
• Sea freight = Port of Montreal running at full capacity, non-essential shipments have been temporarily put on hold – Port of Halifax is not affected by COVID-19 currently

AUSTRALIA –

• Airfreight = Passenger flights are all cancelled Cargo freighters servicing Sydney & Melbourne only Brisbane cargo is landing in Sydney and trucking to Brisbane. EK have advised no options for flights ex BNE
• Sea freight = Brisbane still working, Carriers are choosing to call Melbourne / Sydney ports prior to Brisbane on their routes from China – Larger vessels are now back in operation since the initial China lockdown.
• The Australian Government has clamped down on Hand Sanitizer / Gloves / masks / gowns being imported, registration has to happen.

EUROPE –

• Maersk report reduction in demand, consequently there will be a blank sailing of the AE1 service departing from Far East Asia in week 14 and returning from North Europe in week 19.

TURKEY –

• Cancelled all flights to/from 68 countries
• 2 of the borders are closed Bulgaria & Greece,
• 3 Turkish borders remain open (Kapikule/Hamzabey/Ipsala) but only Turkish plate drivers can pass and quarantine for 14 days.
• Sea freight is not affected

SPAIN –

• Restrictions on driving & rest periods for truck drivers have been lifted
• From March 30th Government of Spain has decreed the total stoppage of activities not considered essential until 13th April – Logistics is considered essential therefore OL Spain continues to work. Port & airports are in operation.
• BALKAN REGION/HUNGARY
• Delays in freight transport due to border closures and travel restrictions

FRANCE –

• Ocean still operational / warehouse & customs still operational / Airfreight PAX flights are partially or totally closed – solution is cargo flight. Driving times & rest periods have been lifted

SWITZERLAND –

• The handling of national distribution as well as import and export is still at a high level.

GREECE -

• Carriers working remotely / Customs working albeit slowly

DENMARK –

• 90% of Airlines are shut down and a lot of airlines only accept bookings by paying Express rates
• Heavy queues at the border with Germany – more than 32 hours waiting time
• Sea freight is very tough due to many blank sailings

GERMANY –

• Sea freight is working ok apart from a few blank sailings
• Re-introduction of temporary border controls at the borders with Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxemburg & Denmark
• Weekend bans of truck movements have been relaxed

NETHERLANDS –

• Sea freight = Port is functioning 100% M East & Far East exports fully booked with carriers until 1st week May, big imbalance on equipment
• Airfreight = space is now a premium, capacity down by 31% on a global network, priority is given to medical cargo
• Customs = staff scaled down so slower
• warehousing = open but space is now less in the market
• road freight = All borders are open

BELGIUM –

• Airfreight rates increased by 500-1000%, priority given to medical supplies/cargo. Sea freight only shortsea Med ports still have space
• Mid East Exports/Far East fully booked with all carriers until 2nd/3rd week of May. New idea by CMA/Maersk – spot guarantee shipments but costs +USD1000/contr
• Zero restrictions on the roads for transport / Not allowed to cross borders.

UK –

• Sea freight = No current issues with sea freight imports / Department of Transport has announced that ‘all’ cargoes need to continue to move NOT just food & medical supplies / shortage of 20’ containers in the market
• Sea freight LCL = will continue to operate a weekly LCL service to Dubai from Fxt/ UK haulage difficulties due to less Hauliers on the road / Warehouses of Importers could be closed **Check before shipping** Road freight = Major delays in and out of mainland Europe
• Airfreight = Passenger flights & Cargo / Freighters are still operating – capacity is reduced

VIETNAM –

• All Vietnamese airlines have stopped their flights, other airlines have reduced flights and increased rates
• Sea freight apart from foodstuffs has been cancelled by Consignee’s – Rice exports to China & Philippines have been stopped by the Government
• Borders are closed with Cambodia / Laos & China

PHILIPPINES –

• Enhanced lock down in place from March 17th – April 14th which includes the airport majority of airlines will resume flights 15th April
• Customs working with skeleton staffing
• Sea freight = Manila Intl contr port is overloaded with containers stuck due to lockdown preventing containers being delivered, MSC has been requested NOT to discharge reefer containers

MALAYSIA –

• Sea ports / airports / Customs & terminal are open – Transport operating, however there is a disagreement as to whether Logistics services
• transport/warehouse are deemed as essentials services.
• Goods must be on the approved list to be moved from the ports – basic food items, agriculture products, household goods and pharmaceuticals products are allowed to be imported.
• Airfreight space is tight / ocean freight enquiries are only valid til end March.

• Sea Imports are normal
• Air exports rate increase happening from 06 April due to capacity reduction

CHINA –

• Back to normal operations, some areas are still contained but should be resumed to normal operations very soon.
• Hubei province, transport connections outside the city of Wuhan are to be re-opened from April 8th
• China ports association stresses that there are no restrictions in place on the normal operation of vessel calls
• China tightens export requirements for medical products

JAPAN –

• The Japanese government has imposed an entry embargo on foreigners. The transport of goods is not affected.

SINGAPORE –

• The border between Singapore and Malaysia is still closed only essential items being food and medical are allowed. Transport is normal, no shortage of trucking services
• Airfreight = Rate has multiplied due to lack of space
• sea freight = not affected, cargo flow is normal, only set back is blank sailings.

*** DISCLAIMER: ALL INFORMATION AND DATA COMPILED ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. WITH THE RAPID RESPONSE OF AGENCIES AND OFFICES ON ALL LEVELS DUE TO THIS GLOBAL PANDEMIC, THIS INFORMATION ONLY PERTAINS TO THE DATE POSTED. ***