22 December 2023

Service Announcement | 22 December 2023

Red Sea Update

Following our earlier communication on the challenges impacting the Red Sea shipping routes we have a further update. Shipping lines have communicated additional changes to routings to and from Europe for both direct and tranship services. Unfortunately, these changes will increase transit times for a number of services and cause additional costs that must be passed on.

It has been confirmed that carriers will implement a "Contingency Adjustment Charge" or a similarly named fee. These new charges will be itemised separately and will apply to affected customers. The charges will vary by service and shipping line, with current estimates provided below.

Export from New Zealand to Europe:

Carrier	Value (USD)	Calculated By	Applicable From
CMA CGM	1,550	Per Container	21-Dec
MSC	1,500	Per Container	22-Dec
ONE Line	500	Per TEU	1-Jan
Hapag Lloyd	500	Per TEU	1-Jan
Maersk	500	Per TEU	1-Jan

Import from Europe to New Zealand

Carrier	Value (USD)	Calculated By	Applicable From
CMA CGM	1,550	Per Container	21-Dec
MSC	500 - 700	Per Container	1-Jan
Hapag Lloyd	500	Per TEU	1-Jan
Maersk	250	Per TEU	1-Jan

LCL Import to New Zealand

Origin	Value (USD)	Calculated By	Applicable From
Spain & Italy	35.00	Per 1M3:1000kg	22-Dec

Please also note that we are yet to receive confirmed details from several other shipping lines. Once these are confirmed we will communicate on a case-by-case basis.
 
The above charges are early indications and indicative only. We will keep you informed of any changes as they become available and as carriers release confirmed information. Our team will provide more clarity on each order or booking placed.

In addition to increased costs and delays on services via the Red Sea / Suez Canal, carriers have confirmed that space limitations will occur due to high demand or slower rotation of vessels, including alternate services via the Panama Canal. This is expected to become critical in the first quarter of 2024. We encourage our customers to plan in advance and consider extending forward order plans beyond Q1.

Our global teams are actively engaging with carriers to source and provide alternative options. These may include alternative routings, increased Less than Container Load (LCL), and air services. Our network throughout Europe is also available to support the movement of cargo to different cities, offering access to alternative service ports.

At this time, it is uncertain how these challenges will affect demand to and from other global regions. However, we are confident that there will be a flow on effect to other regions.