A customer advisory by MSC Agency (India) Pvt Ltd informs that the shipping line has temporarily stopped taking container bookings for US Ports due to the ongoing congestion at transshipment hubs which is also forcing shipping lines to make port omissions. Certain shipping lines are also skipping calls to major hubs like Colombo to maintain their service punctuality. Exporters are worried that supply of their goods into the market will be delayed further and the logistics cost are already 50% high and such situations will escalate the costs further. Supply of India goods into the US markets will be delayed by more than 2 months, capitalising on this trend Ecuador will be able to make better inroads into the US market by supplying in 10 days. Tea traders in Cochin auctions also raised apprehension over congestion at transhipment ports including container shortage which is likely to slow down tea exports. Main line operators have become reluctant to accept perishable cargo as they are now uncertain of connecting to the final destination in time.
