Many shipping lines’ sailings were cancelled in the first half of 2020 due to a global slowdown induced by the pandemic. Asian economies are now restarting their engines, and Western demand for Chinese-made goods has skyrocketed as people switched to internet shopping during lockdowns.

Although the Ever Given was cleared before the end of March, the impact on Europe’s ports and the accompanying hike in rates were not seen until mid-April, when a large number of delayed and scheduled ships arrived at the same time. This has resulted in delays, backlogs, and an increasing scarcity of empty containers at Asian origin ports.

While the massive vessel has been freed, global trade is beginning to feel the effects on capacity and prices. According to The Wall Street Journal‘s Sebastian Herrera, with a 60% yearly growth in sales by third-party merchants on Amazon’s marketplace last year, the e-commerce boom will continue in 2021. This means that businesses need to maintain inventory levels and are already attempting to get a head start on peak season, but are having problems following the cancellation of May and June bookings by several freight forwarders.

We are here to help.

You shouldn’t have to miss out on opportunities presented by importing from China. Post-Brexit trade deals and Amazon selling make it more accessible than ever to source products from China to sell online via Amazon or eBay. Harness the manufacturing power stretching from Hong Kong to Beijing with our flagship services to the UK and LA. We can walk you through your shipment on a step by step basis, arranging both ex works and FOB shipments if required.

Despite current container scarcity, we still believe in providing our customers with the service we expect, not just a competitive rate, and therefore are doing all we can to find appropriate solutions for our customers and ensure you don’t miss out.

By sourcing these elusive containers from elsewhere we can help you continue transporting goods from China to the UK and LA using our flagship services. Our fantastic team continue to find the best solutions despite the scarcity of container equipment. 

We recognise that there has been an impact on European importers as their goods have required extra shipment between ports, but Westbound Logistics continue to find solutions where other freight forwarders have failed and cancelled their bookings entirely so we can keep your supply chain going. 

Get the true VIP service with Westbound Logistics.

Our experienced team have all the necessary contacts and the right people to handle your shipment in the best possible way. We don’t just promote our services based on price but also on what we can give to our client with regard to our knowledge and experience and a personal service.

Whether you’re looking to ship to the UK or Los Angeles, choose Westbound’s comprehensive freight forwarding service to transport your FCL and LCL shipments. Speak to a member of our team today on 01375 800800 or info@westboundglobal.com to find out how we can help with your next shipment. You can keep up to date on the latest industry news with our news and events page.