COVID-19 Update
Widespread business shutdowns in mid-March may be setting the stage for disruption in capacity and pricing when states and localities begin lifting restrictions.. Additionally, a surge in Chinese imports is expected to put pressure on truck capacity in April and May. Below is a list of tips to plan your inbound shipments:
Revised receiving or dispatch protocols at warehouses and distributions centers to adjust for social distancing.
Closely coordinate inbound freight with your DC's or warehouse. Reduction of staff as a result of a "lockdown" might slow things down.
Curfew on non-essential, non-emergency travel will reduce workforce at warehouses and DC's and raise demand for precise delivery times.
Shortened Gate and Terminal operations at ports, inland marine terminals and rail yards may be in force.
Potential wait times due to staging of drayage operators at terminal gates to minimize exposure between drayage operators and longshoreman.
Anticipate terminals shutting down temporarily when they find workers testing positive for the virus.
Information provided from shipping lines involved in the Transpacific trades indicates that cargo levels and services are resuming to pre-coronavirus levels. A surge in imports from China is still widely expected to hit US ports in April and May, jacking up capacity demand.
Hong Kong
The Government announced that it will ban non-Hong Kong residents arriving at the airport from entering Hong Kong for 14 days starting from March 25.
Non-Hong Kong residents arriving in Hong Kong from the Mainland, Macau and Taiwan who have been to overseas countries or territories in the past 14 days will also be banned.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has extended its nationwide curfew to combat the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic. The countrywide curfew imposed last week and due to expire on Monday morning was re-imposed until further notice.
Bangladesh
The Civil Aviation Authority Bangladesh (CAAB) confirmed only flights to and from four countries will be allowed. All international flights both inbound and outbound from Bangladesh will remain suspended from 12am Saturday until March 31. Only flights from four countries -- China, Hong Kong, Thailand, and England will be allowed to operate. Cathay Pacific passenger flights also will be suspended from March 31 until further notice.
Indonesia
The government has declared a two-week state of emergency and applied a stay at home policy for its citizens. Our partner in Indonesia informed that most of their staff is working from home until further notice. All employees whom work from home can be contacted by mail and by mobile phones anytime. Operations at ports and airports are expected to continue normally, or with minimal impact due to this closure, but expect slower lead time than usual. Container space availability to US both EC & WC are mostly tight. Cosco, APL and ONE report fully booked vessels. CMA-CGM, APL and ONE have plans for blank sailings subject to changes.
Europe
Transport across land borders is slowing down, especially to and from European countries most hit by the virus, such as Italy. Practical challenges, such as insufficient open sanitary facilities or service stations are adding to difficulties with the transport of key products. Air cargo capacity constraints remain on many key markets, including Asia-Europe, Europe-Asia, transatlantic, Intra-Asia, transpacific and the Middle East.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
There have been no operational changes at Ports of Entry. CBP has encountered an uptick of personnel testing positive for COVID-19 and is now up to about 30 Officers who are in quarantine protocol.
Railroads
As per the most recent Maersk customer advisory all railroads BNSF report their networks to be fluid (CN, CP, NSPP, BNSF, and CSX)
Airlines
The Wall Street Journal reports that major U.S. airlines are drafting plans for a voluntary shutdown of virtually all passenger flights across the country. No final decisions have been made by the carriers or the White House, these officials said.
If you require any specific updates please call your local Janel representative.