News / Sub-continent shippers and forwarders switch to bulkers to stay profitable

By Angelo Mathais and Bangladesh correspondent

25/11/2021

As container pricing and related supply chain challenges mount amid wild demand swings and capacity imbalances, Indian and Bangladeshi shippers and freight forwarders – in co-ordination with government logistics leaders – have begun switching to breakbulk and other unconventional modes.

Mumbai-based Allcargo Logistics, parent company of less-than-container-load (LCL) consolidation heavyweight ECU Worldwide, is among many freight forwarders offering customers such alternatives.

“We have converted some cargo from containerised to breakbulk to facilitate cargo movement for our clients,” Adarsh Hegde, joint MD, told The ...

Comment on this article

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Ed Evans
November 26, 2021 at 8:39 pm
It is not just India that has had to shift to the breakbulk mode for its formerly container shipments. The Gulf shippers too cannot get containers, at least at contractual prices. They too have engaged breakbulk bookings, either slot charters or voyage charters, depending upon the volume of their cargoes and the Ports of import. Are container shipment contracts not worth the electrons they are stored upon? Is it China that monopolizes the boxes and ensures that the containers return there to get the higher rates? Or the various Lines, including the Chinese?

Log in to Reply