Journal of Commerce - Australian shippers face worsening delays from DP World-dockworkers dispute

Reaching an international audience, JOC referenced FTA / APSA before quoting an anonymous APSA member (you know who you are, thank you).

QUOTE:

Paul Zalai, director of the shippers group Freight & Trade Alliance said international vessel delays now vary from two to five weeks.

Highlighting the impact on shippers, a senior executive at a major grain and pulses exporter said not only are cargo owners having to deal with the uncertainty of freight delays, but they're also being charged substantial extra costs by carriers.

"Vessel schedule changes and omissions have the biggest impact on us," the source told the Journal of Commerce. "With shipping lines having container availability issues for food-quality boxes, we have to take what we can when we can.

"When terminals close due to union action or carrier schedules change, the containers are either stuck in our own yard, returned to already full storage yards or sent to port where they can be moved back to storage yards," he added. "All of this double, triple handling comes at a cost."

He said attempts to recoup the additional costs are ongoing, "but progressing very, very slowly."

Journal of Commerce - Australian shippers face worsening delays from DP World-dockworkers dispute