As many in the logistics industry will be all too aware, New Zealand is experiencing major delays with container vessels arriving into the country.
On the surface everyone is clearly frustrated, so it may help to have a breakdown and reasoning behind this.
The current delays are categorised into three main areas:
- COVID-19
- Capacity constraints in NZ
- Industrial action at Australian ports
The lack of air freight with planes being grounded in line with COVID-19 restrictions has seen sea freight demands and premiums soar. All major shipping lines minimised their services when the pandemic hit and continue to operate at a limited level despite requests to increase.
Meanwhile, the Ports of Auckland have had to delay the scheduled automation upgrade due to the global pandemic which has seen cargo having to be manually unloaded. This coupled with vessels being off window, and then having to wait to dock to be unloaded is resulting in delays of up to 10 days.
Please be assured your orders are a priority for us, and we will do everything we can to ensure we can deliver them as soon as possible.
2020 has been an absolutely unprecedented state of affairs. We are here to talk you through any issues – our customer service team are working tirelessly on your behalf – and we want to provide the level of service you expect from us.
It’s a difficult situation that we all need to acknowledge and accept to a certain degree. Your cooperation is truly appreciated.
We will provide updates from our company to yours as they come to hand.