Shippers and forwarders query carriers' policy
The associations of European shippers and freight forwarders ESC and Clecat have appealed to the European Commission and criticised the policy currently pursued by liners.
In a joint letter to the Competition Directorate of the EC, the associations complained about the violation of existing contracts, the establishment of unreasonable conditions concerning the acceptance of bookings and the unilateral setting of rates far in excess of those agreed in contracts.
They drew attention to the fact that these practices are particularly affecting small European businesses. Due to the delays of liners and the lack of space on vessels combined with the surge in tariffs, the productivity of many manufacturers is in peril. The adverse consequences of carriers’ practices are felt equally by many larger companies, including retail, fashion, automotive, cosmetics and IT businesses.
Furthermore, carriers are continuing to top their rates with surcharges, general rate increases and extra surcharges like the ‘equipment imbalance surcharge’. Similarly, shippers and forwarders are being confronted with refused bookings and rolled cargo if carriers deem it more profitable to accept higher rated cargo for a particular sailing.
The associations say that it is high time to overcome the disruption of supply chains due to the unprecedented number of blank sailings, combined with the lack of reliability (with only 50% of ships on time in 2020) and the ongoing shortage of empty containers. (sh)