SCS April 14
Cotton prices hit new highs; Ocean rates retreat but supply chains remain snarled

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Extended lockdowns in Shanghai, and now other cities, are causing increasing uncertainty for suppliers and importers – particularly as peak season is nearing.

LOGISTICS

Freight Rates Apr

Around 10% of container ships worldwide are stuck in congestion, causing more bottlenecks in global supply chains, according to data from Ocean Network Express.

Almost 500 container ships are stuck in congestion outside Shanghai as a result of lockdowns.  While the port remains open, blocked land traffic, trucking issues and closures of warehouses are creating logistic bottlenecks and rising costs, according to Citi economists.

  • Due to the limited availability of trucking resources, trucking rates are at high levels and seeing delays of around 3-5 days in pick up times
  • Nanjing, the largest inland port in the world, has become the latest port to report a Covid outbreak among its workforce leading to much of the port’s operations along the Yangtze being shuttered, according to Geodis.

Other cities in East and North China are also facing rising COVID cases. This is impacting factory production, warehousing, and trucking availability although port terminals and trucking do continue to be fully operational, said Flexport.

 

Ocean carriers continue to assess impacts to bookings of the Shanghai lockdown, many of which are looking for replacement cargo originating from Southeast Asia due to current constraints and dips in shipment activity ex-China, said Flexport.

In North China, more than 80% of commercial freighter services have been canceled due to a Covid surge and airlines are looking into potentially shifting operations to nearby airports.

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SUSTAINABILITY

Epic Group (HK) has been awarded the “Best Supplier for Sustainability” Award from Walmart.  The Group produces Low Water Denim jeans for Walmart that use 60% less water.  Read More

Crystal International Group (HK) has launched its Wash Minus- collection with new Ionic+ technology, in partnership with Noble Biomaterials.    Read More

LEGAL

Walmart and Kohl’s agreed to pay a total of $5.5 million to end government allegations that they falsely marketed towels, sheets, blankets and dozens of other rayon-based products as made with eco-friendly bamboo when it actually requires toxic chemicals to turn wood pulp into rayon, according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

MATERIALS

Materials Prices Apr

Cotton prices were driven higher this week as India announced it would waive customs duties and a 5% tax on cotton imports until September to alleviate prices in the textile sector.

Crude oil  is down more than 20% since a mid-March high, however industrial and consumer gas prices are retreating a lot more slowly.  As oil prices fall, distributors collectively drag their feet to lower prices and enjoy a temporary profit balloon, according to Oil Price Information Service data.

Materials prices in China remained flat as an extended lockdown in Shanghai hampered exports.

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