(CCTV Finance "Economic Information Network") Due to the imbalance between supply and demand caused by the global epidemic, shipping prices have continued to soar for two years. After the year, foreign trade export enterprises have resumed work one after another. However, when ships arrive, they are still faced by foreign trade enterprises. grim situation.

According to public data from the Shanghai Stock Exchange, the “accuracy rate of arrival and departure services” on the global main routes from Asia to the West Coast of the United States in January was only 11%, continuing to maintain a low level. The "lateness" of ships is directly related to the congestion of major foreign ports under the epidemic. The person in charge of the largest local logistics company in Ningbo told reporters that from the second half of 2021 to the present, the congestion at major ports in the United States shows no signs of easing. 

Jia Jun, head of a logistics company in Ningbo, Zhejiang: The frequency of dock workers on the West Coast of the United States now unable to go to work due to the epidemic is becoming more and more frequent, which has seriously affected the efficiency of the dock. Pier congestion for such a long time has never happened before. Accompanied by repeated "no-show" shipping schedules, there are also rising freight rates. At present, the Ningbo export container freight index has increased by more than 74% compared with the same period last year, which is equivalent to more than four times that of the same period in 2020.

Qian Hanglu, an analyst at Ningbo Shipping Exchange: At present, the freight rate of 40-foot standard containers on European routes is about US$14,000. In the same period in 2021, this level will be about US$8,600; For the east and west routes of the United States, there is a general increase in the market at present. The unsmooth supply chain has exacerbated the contradiction between supply and demand. Industry insiders judge that from the perspective of shipping demand and capacity supply, it is expected that the overall freight rate in 2022 will remain at a high level. The container freight rates of major shipping routes in the world continued to remain high and the shipping space was tight. In order to cope with high freight rates, some foreign trade companies even started to invest in shipbuilding. Just after the New Year, at a shipyard in Weihai, Shandong, workers raced against time to build a freighter that could hold 1,800 standard containers. The person in charge of a foreign trade company in Ningbo, Zhejiang said that shipbuilding has long been planned to go to sea.

Xiang Lehong, head of a cross-border e-commerce enterprise in Ningbo, Zhejiang, said that after the ship is launched in the first quarter of next year, the company initially plans to find a professional shipping company for management. Relying on the customers accumulated by the company in operating cross-border e-commerce overseas warehouses in recent years, the source of goods is No worries. Xiang Lehong, head of a cross-border e-commerce company in Ningbo, Zhejiang: After the ship is launched in 2023, it will help to increase the turnover rate of products faster, reduce the time of inventory, reduce the occupation of funds, and also help many foreign trade enterprises, which (small and medium-sized) Enterprises) can also be faster.

However, in the face of the current situation, most companies still choose to sign long-term agreements with shipping companies. From the perspective of shipping companies, long-term agreement contracts can ensure a stable supply of goods. For foreign trade companies, relatively fixed freight rates can avoid market risks when the shipping market fluctuates greatly. Zeng Jianping, senior vice president of a foreign trade company in Ningbo, Zhejiang: In the fourth quarter (last year), we increased the negotiated price and quantity of the entire shipping space this year and even next year with various shipping companies to ensure that the overall shipping price and shipping space this year can be guaranteed and price stability. Those who sign long-term agreement contracts are generally large-scale cargo-owner companies with relatively fixed goods and a large volume of goods, and it is difficult for small and medium-sized foreign trade enterprises to obtain long-term agreements. Not only that, it is also difficult for some logistics companies that hold the supply of goods to sign more favorable long-term agreements this year. The reason is that major shipping companies predict that ships will stay in port for longer in 2022 and capacity will be tight.