News Podcast | January 2022 | Freight mini-spike or multimodal crunch as CNY factory closures loom?

2022 is already shaping up to be a year of daunting challenges for freight and shipping. Carriers by sea, air, ocean and rail can expect healthy profits. But for buyers, managing procurement and inventories has never been more important.

The lead-in to all-important Chinese New Year factory closures at the start of February is the focus of this episode. Are we seeing the traditional mini-peak or is there a multimodal crunch on the horizon? And what comes afterwards?

All is revealed, as we hear the latest from China and we examine what’s happening in air freight markets and where container contract and spot rates are on the east-west tradelanes.

Guests in this episode:

• Peter Sand, chief shipping analyst, Xeneta
• Akhil Nair, VP global carrier management & ocean strategy, Seko Logistics
• Jason Haith, manager at transpacific forwarding specialist OEC Group
• Neel Jones Shah, Flexport executive VP and global head of airfreight
• Adam Compain, senior VP for product marketing & supply chain insights, project44

Episode 1 of 2022 in more detail:

• Ocean spot rates ahead of Chinese New Year (3.10)
• How Covid outbreaks are impacting logistics in China (5.40) – Seko Logistics’ viewpoint
• Can carriers use Chinese New Year to improve schedule reliability? (11.00)
• Q2 shipping supply and demand imbalance? (13.30)
• Asia’s airports and airlines are struggling with zero-Covid policies (15.00) – Flexport
• Air cargo rates in January (19.00)
• US consumption still driving ocean freight markets and sucking-in ships (19.50)
• Spotlight: the transpacific (19.50) – Xeneta, project44 and OEC Group
• US hinterland – port delays; trucking rates sky high on scarcity (25.10)
• Transpacific contract negotiations commence early (32.00)
• Will PMA/ILWU west coast dockworker negotiations prompt rush for east coast deliveries? (34.40)
• US airport infrastructure as outdated as its ports (39.40)
• Global air freight demand in 2022 (42.30)
• Asia-Europe container trade analysis (45.15)

Air freight rates data provided by TAC Index – helping clients make the best air freight decisions

Sea freight rates data provided by Xeneta – the shipping industry’s most accurate source of container rates