How Australia’s Supply Chain has the Opportunity to Cherry-Pick the Best Emissions Reduction Strategies from Around the World

As we begin 2025, it’s likely that this year we’re going to continue to see further discussion around various sustainability and emissions reduction initiatives, including within the global supply chain. With this in mind, it’s clear that Australia’s shipping and logistics sector – and indeed businesses more broadly – have an opportunity to cherry pick […]
Important Industry Update 29.11.24

We’ve seen little change to the market in the last few weeks with demand softening.  This is not just happening into Australia but worldwide. The lack of bookings has caused what we had predicted just a few weeks ago.  That the freight rates would start to decrease.    We are seeing this on the Northeast Asia […]
Import Industry Update 14.11.2024

Due to the current geopolitical volatility and various global events affecting the supply chain, EES Shipping aim to provide updates every two weeks on prevailing conditions. Where necessary, we touch on the issues that impact YOU as an importer/exporter and ultimately influence: Rates Space Transit times / Delays Equipment shortages This time, we’re adjusting the […]
Important Industry Update 31.10.24

Due to the current geopolitical volatility and various global events affecting the supply chain, EES Shipping aim to provide updates every two weeks on prevailing conditions. All of the following events impact YOU as an importer/exporter and ultimately influence: Rates Space Transit times / Delays Equipment shortages Port Strikes USA East Coast and Gulf Ports […]
Important Industry Update 14.10.24

Due to the current geopolitical volatility and various global events affecting the supply chain, EES Shipping aim to provide updates every two weeks on prevailing conditions. Port Strikes USA East Coast and Gulf Ports  The International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) announced a deal only three days into strike action. Sources […]
Next Round EMDG

The Australian Government recently announced Round 4 of the Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) program, introducing a new export readiness training. The EMDG, which aids Australian exporters, offers grants between $20,000 and $80,000 for global expansion. Applications open in November 2024, urging businesses to take the new readiness test available online. Free resources, advice, and […]
Why Container Weights Should Weigh on Your Mind (As They Do Ours!)

From today, a new ‘Chain of Responsibility’ fee is appearing on the DP World Fremantle Carrier Access Public Tariff Schedule, essentially marking the official introduction of the new weigh-in-motion (WIM) system which has been slowly rolled out over the past month. But what is it, what does it mean, and does anyone really care how […]
Embracing a Digital Mindset

EES Shipping leading the organization into the age of Data & AI. By Sandra Reyes – 24/07/2024 For many years now, as an individual we have faced changes in the way we do our tasks, personally and professionally, I am talking about things like the transition to electric cars, Smart phones, smart Fridges, Robot Vacuums, […]
Singapore Transhipment Congestion (Fremantle Cargo)

The congestion in Singapore has not eased and is expected to stay high well into August and September. The demand for container shipping hit an all time record high in May of this year with 15.9 million twenty foot container shipped globally.  In comparison 15.7 million containers were shipped in May 2021 (at the height […]
Transit delays and freight rates are on the rise

Reports of port congestion increasing worldwide are coming in thick and fast. Singapore is currently experiencing extended waiting times for vessel berthing, ranging from 5 to 7 days, representing a significant rise from the typical 0.5 to 1 days. PSA (Port of Singapore Authority) are reactivating older berths and yards, along with increasing manpower in […]
Border Watch – Keeping Illicit Cargo Out of Australia

Recently we had a representative from Border Watch come out and give a presentation on how illicit goods can enter Australia and what to look out for. In the past financial year (2022-2023) AFP have prevented up to 49 tonnes of illicit drugs from reaching Australia, 29 tonnes of which were methamphetamines. The biggest countries […]
What the Price of Bread and Milk Has to Do With the Cost of Running a Business

Much attention has been paid in recent months to the inquiries looking into the price setting practices of the major supermarkets, on the back of significant increases in the cost of groceries. While the spotlight is likely welcomed by many consumers, such significant price hikes are an issue being felt across many sectors currently. It’s […]
The ‘Perfect Storm’ – Why the Cost of Shipping is on the Rise Again

As a business owner, one of the best things I believe you can do for your clients and industry stakeholders, is to be as open and transparent as possible, especially when explaining price rises. It’s no secret that the cost of shipping has risen recently – with the increase being felt by both businesses and […]
Business and Consumers Paying the Price as Stalemate Drags on at Australian Ports

Businesses and consumers are paying the ultimate price for the ongoing stalemate between DP World and the Maritime Union of Australia at Ports across Australia, and with no resolution in sight, I fear worse is to come. Protected industrial action began at DP World container terminals across the country on October 1, with the MUA […]
Why Shipping is a Beacon for Australia’s Economy

With economic news dominating the news throughout much of this year, it’s a fresh reminder that businesses and governments should be closely monitoring trends within shipping and freight, to ensure they stay ahead of the game and are able to plan well for the future. For those of us working in the industry, it’s no […]
Why the State Government’s Supply Chain Taskforce Report is a Missed Opportunity

When the State Government’s long-awaited Shipping and Supply Chain Taskforce Report was handed down in October, I was disappointed to realise there’d been a missed opportunity to identify and implement localised measures to improve the supply-chain in the short-term. More than a dozen recommendations were made, including that WA work with the Federal Government to […]
How AI Will Transform One of the World’s Oldest Industries

As interest around Artificial Intelligence continues to grow, I believe the shipping industry is on the cusp of a transformation not seen in decades, as various AI applications and programs start to assist with streamlining processes and taking on time-consuming admin tasks. While the digitisation of shipping businesses is not new AI has taken it […]
What Do Food Trucks, Caravans and Boat Trailers Have in Common? All Are SPV’s, and All Must Comply With Updated Standards

With spring just around the corner, it won’t be long until we start seeing the return of regular food-truck events, but if you’re looking to import one – or any other kind of special purpose vehicle – it’s important you’re aware of changes in import arrangements. Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) are road vehicles that are […]
Why it’s Cheaper to Ship from China, Than to Move Your Container 35km

As freight rates continue to fall, a curious situation has arisen where it’s currently cheaper to ship a container from China to Western Australia, than it is to move that same container 35 kilometres by road. Yes, you read that correctly. We know global sea-freight rates have been declining for some time now, falling from […]
The Year That Was – The Highs and Lows of 2022 in the Shipping Industry

The end of the year is generally a time of reflection, and as we look back on the past 12 months, it’s impossible to miss some significant differences in how the shipping and logistics industry started the year, compared to how we are ending it. 2022 has been a year of ‘returning to normal’ as […]
Fresh Reports Highlights Need For Immediate Improvements to Australia’s Shipping Industry

The recent release of the Productivity Commission’s final report into the Maritime Logistics System has once again highlighted the need for the industry to implement changes to improve efficiency and productivity, and both business and consumers stand to benefit. I, among others within the industry, have been calling for meaningful change to occur for some […]
Trade Deals with India and the United Kingdom

We have been notified by the Minister for Trade and Tourism Senator, the Hon Don Farrell, that the passage of legislation through the Parliament enabling free trade agreements with India and the United Kingdom, has been completed. Two of the proposed free trade agreements (FTAs) have been ratified by the Australian Government and will come […]
Flooding and Derailment Causing Headaches for Rail-Freight Network

EES Shipping is committed to keeping clients up to date with the latest events across the supply chain – and with peak season upon us, it’s important customers are aware of current difficulties facing the rail network. Ongoing flooding across central New South Wales has forced the closure of the network, impacting train services between […]
Why the Cost of Shipping is Continuing to Rise – and What You Can do About it.

If you’ve been involved in importing any item in recent months, it’ll come as no surprise to you hear that the cost of shipping is rising – and unfortunately, we at EES Shipping expect this to continue for at least the short term. While freight rates have softened from the highs seen at the peak […]
How Late Night Deliveries and After Hours Phone Calls Could Help Ease Supply-Chain Delays.

Twenty-four hour operations in the shipping industry may be the only solution we have to the big retail issues we are facing due to global shipping congestion. The reality is the massive issues we’ve faced in 2021 look set to continue into 2022 unless we can find meaningful solutions. While I think the time has […]
Why Global Shipping Delays Aren’t All Bad News.

There’s been much discussion about global shipping delays since the coronavirus pandemic began, but despite the ongoing congestion and backlog, cautious optimism is emerging among some businesses. We’ve been warning clients for months about the need to order products well in advance, to ensure their arrival before the busy Christmas period. However, in order to […]
China’s Golden Week Holiday

The China Golden Week holidays are coming up fast. We are currently experiencing the usual space problems from China as we move closer to peak season.  With the upcoming week long holiday, suppliers in China will also be working hard to clear the stock from their warehouses – this will cause even more space issues […]
Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs (BMSB) 2021-2022 season

The Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources have released the latest requirements regarding mandatory pre-shipment fumigation for imports into Australia, to protect against Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs (BMSB) over the 2021-22 high risk season. The measures apply to goods shipped from high risk countries from 1 September 2021 that arrive in Australian territory by […]
Key WA Industries the Latest to be Affected by Worsening Shipping Delays

WA’s mining and agriculture sectors are starting to feel the squeeze from continued global shipping delays, with concerns vital maintenance supplies are becoming caught up in the backlog. As we predicted months ago, the pandemic-related delays of 2020 have continued to snowball this year, made worse by the Suez canal blockage and the more recent […]
As The Freight Industry Gets Ever Busier, BioSecurity Has To Be At The Front of the Queue

While Australians continue to enjoy getting deliveries from overseas, they may not be aware that getting those products delivered carries with it a number of biosecurity risks to our way of life. One of the primary responsibilities any freight forwarder needs to take on is a dedication to maintaining Australia’s biosecurity. Though this is a […]
Australia lifts ban on cargo flights from Bangladesh after security revamp

Satisfied with the improvement of security standards, Australia has lifted its five-year ban on direct cargo flights from Bangladesh. It’s a long-awaited measure applauded by top exporters, after the country, with several others including the UK and EU, imposed the ban in December 2015, citing inadequate security at Bangladeshi airports. The Australian High Commissioner in Dhaka, Jeremy Bruer, […]
Shanghai’s box volume hits 40 million TEU for 4 year running

Container volume for Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) has already surpassed 40 million TEU in 2020 for the fourth consecutive year, say port authorities. Despite the outbreak of the Covid crisis, Shanghai port maintained fast growth in container throughput and accelerated its development of intelligent port systems. On July 29, the port handled a container […]
Covid scare delays cargo at Shanghai and sparks checks at China ports

Chinese forwarders are reporting delays of up to three days for cargo moving through Shanghai Pudong Airport, following the discovery of a cluster of Covid-19 cases, reports London’s Loadstar. “Import and export customs inspections are suspended until further notice from the government,” said one forwarder. He added that while flights continued to operate, along with […]
Patrick & DP World Terminals MUA AGM – Tuesday 24/11/2020

The purpose of this notice is to inform you that Patrick and DP World Terminals Australia Wide will cease ship and yard operations for the Annual General Meeting of the Maritime Union of Australia. PATRICK TERMINALS: MUA Annual General Meeting (AGM) stop work meetings 　 On Tuesday, 24 November all Patrick terminals will have a […]
Stepped-up prevention helps reduce loss of containers at sea

The World Shipping Council (WSC) in its 2020 report shows that an average of 779 containers were lost at sea in the three-year period between 2017 and 2019, down from the yearly average loss of 1,382 containers in the twelve-year period (2008-2019). With more than 5,000 container vessels in operation and about 789 million TEU […]
Intra-Asia interest sparked by empty container shortage

Rising rates on intra-Asia routes to five-year highs amid a capacity crunch born of an acute shortage of empty containers, has commanded fresh attention in the market, say carriers and shippers alike. The tightness in supply has mainly been caused by the global container shortage, carriers redeploying boxes and ships to main line services, and […]
2020-21 BMSB season – two months in!

We are now two months into this BMSB season. The number of detections of BMSB are increasing as we head into some of the busiest months for imports and riskiest months for BMSB establishment. The department has 20 detections of BMSB so far this season. There have been 17 detections of dead BMSB across the […]
Shanghai world’s first port to handle 4 million TEU in one month

The Port of Shanghai has broken its own monthly container handling record, becoming the first port in the world to handle more than four million TEU (twenty foot equivalent units) in a calendar month. Shanghai, the world’s biggest boxport, handled 4.2 million TEU in October, up 15.7 per cent year on year, surpassing the record […]
Sweeper ships await Sydney congestion to ease to retrieve empties

Congestion in Sydney has stranded about 50,000 TEU (twenty foot equivalent units) of empties, according to liner lobby Shipping Australia, reports IHS Media. “Congestion will have to be worked through before sweepers can call,” the group said in a statement. “On a positive note, there are some signs that this may change at one terminal […]
Update from Svitzer Australia: Notification of Protected Industrial Action by CFMMEU

Please find below an announcement from Svitzer Australia (tug boat operators) of the intended Protected Industrial Action by members of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA). The protected industrial action is planned to take place from 12:01 am Thursday 29 October 2020 through to 11:59 pm Sunday 29 November 2020. The impact to operations and […]
China Empty Container Shortage – 40’GP/40’HC — CRITICAL

The situation in China regarding empty containers has become critical.  The majority of shipping lines in main port China (Shanghai/Ningbo/Qingdao/Yantian/Shekou), along with some of the smaller ports, are now unable to offer 40’GP or 40’HC containers. The shipping lines that are in possession of empty equipment are charging double the freight rate to move containers […]
Singapore welcomes world’s largest LNG powered containership

The world’s largest LNG-powered containership – the 23,000 TEU CMA CGM Jacques Saade – made its maiden call in Singapore early this month. The first of nine 23,000 TEU LNG-powered newbuildings and named after the late Jacques Saade, founder of the CMA CGM Group, the vessel called at the CMA CGM-PSA Lion Terminal after sailing […]
Ocean rates still rising alongside ‘major problems’ for those on the front line

On the 16th October the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) showed a further 10.65-point gain in its comprehensive index to 1,448.87 – 71% higher than at the end of May. The huge increase over the past five months, in the midst of the pandemic, has been driven by substantial gains in container spot rates across […]
Supply of Three Phase Cage Induction Motors

Are you an importer of three phase cage induction motors, or do you import equipment that is fitted with three phase cage induction motors? It is imperative that you read this document received from the GEMS Regulator. As an importer you may have obligations under the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Act 2012 (GEMS Act) […]
World Maritime Day 2020

“Sustainable shipping for a sustainable planet” is the World Maritime theme for 2020. This will provide an opportunity to raise awareness of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and showcase the work that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and its Member States are undertaking to achieve the targets. World Maritime Day 2020 – IMO […]
Industrial Action at Container Terminals

Please read the following as this is affecting all current deliveries, vessel schedules and upcoming containers for the foreseeable future until the current industrial action has been resolved. We are doing our best to communicate with our clients and transport providers, but the information and action taken by the wharves is changing every hour. EES […]
eCert exchange for New Zealand

Effective 31 August 2020, the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment has transitioned the current eCert exchange with New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (NZ MPI) to a paperless eCert exchange. This means NZ MPI will no longer issue original paper phytosanitary or sanitary certificates. The NZ exporter will provide importers and brokers with […]
Sydney’s container congestion sparks anger

Sydney’s pile up of empties, sorely needed in China ports if liners would only take them there, are causing massive congestion in Botany Bay, reports Brisbane’s Australasian Transport News. Most container parks are at full capacity, while several closed to import de-hires. Thus container management has reached a crisis point, says Container Transport Alliance Australia […]