In what sounds like more of a Hollywood blockbuster adventure movie or a reality TV challenge, importers and exporters are facing what seems like a never ending series of challenges. The quest is to get goods out of Asia and delivered to destinations in key markets on time - something that just a year and a half ago scarcely required a second thought. Now it’s difficult to remember that freight used to be a barely-acknowledged part of the total factory-to-selling floor chain. That it used to be the piece of the business that was stable with disruptions few and far between. Today, brands of all sizes worry whether or not they’ll be able to keep shelves (in stores and warehouses) stocked during the holiday season - especially if consumer demand keeps up its current pace. And then there’s the issue of freight rates. Soaring rates are putting upward pressure on consumer prices and contributing inflation that is becoming more than a little concerning. <h3><b>New Week, New Crisis</b></h3> As the industry recovers from the latest crisis in Yantian, fire and floods are disrupting inland logistics in<a href="https://freightos368.lt.acemlnb.com/Prod/link-tracker?redirectUrl=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&a=798545981&account=freightos368%2Eactivehosted%2Ecom&email=sYt9S4FqtbCrRoC8mdA2Dovy7T5YEJ8ohjC9vauJg30%3D&s=94c6fa1a1d56a11698e31bb24b2f9cd0&i=1786A3086A52A30989"> Canada</a> and Europe, civil unrest is affecting terminals in South Africa, and COVID outbreaks in South East Asia are impacting manufacturing and freight in<a href="https://freightos368.lt.acemlnb.com/Prod/link-tracker?redirectUrl=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&a=798545981&account=freightos368%2Eactivehosted%2Ecom&email=sYt9S4FqtbCrRoC8mdA2Dovy7T5YEJ8ohjC9vauJg30%3D&s=94c6fa1a1d56a11698e31bb24b2f9cd0&i=1786A3086A52A30990"> Vietnam</a> and elsewhere. And as with other recent disruptions, with no extra capacity available to address the problems, the effect can get amplified, said Freightos, commenting on the most recent round of disruptors. <h3><b>Problems Move from Sea to Land</b></h3> While labor shortages at US ports are easing up, inland logistics are worsening. In the US, existing backlogs caused by year-long peak volumes continue to be a challenge:<a href="https://freightos368.lt.acemlnb.com/Prod/link-tracker?redirectUrl=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&a=798545981&account=freightos368%2Eactivehosted%2Ecom&email=sYt9S4FqtbCrRoC8mdA2Dovy7T5YEJ8ohjC9vauJg30%3D&s=94c6fa1a1d56a11698e31bb24b2f9cd0&i=1786A3086A52A30991"> Union Pacific</a> Railroad announced a one-week suspension of service from West Coast ports to its inland rail hub in Chicago to allow time to address congestion, said Flexport. For those who think things are so bad that they have to start getting better, well ocean carriers would disagree. <h3><b>No End in Sight</b></h3> Brands are unlikely to see any easing of elevated rate pressure across transportation modes through the fourth quarter, according to Kuehne + Nagel’s Detlef Trefzger. The US imported more containerized goods from Asia in the first five months of 2020 than in any previous year, and with the traditional peak shipping season beginning in July, ports and inland logistics suppliers must be prepared to handle continued record volumes. The record pace of imports,which have created chaos for importers and exporters, are projected to have increased 33 percent in June, with increases of 14 percent in July, 7.5 percent in August, and 1.7 percent in September, according to the Global Port Tracker. <h3><b>Possible Actions the Logistics Supply Chain Could Take</b></h3> With things looking to get worse before they get better, the looming question is what will the logistic chain - from carriers to terminals and inland transport do to cope with the crisis? Some options include extending terminal gate hours, hiring additional dockworkers, and expediting repairs on chassis and other intermodal equipment are in play. But industry watchers question whether the respective stakeholders step up? After all, historically ocean carriers and other parts of the logistics supply chain have operated at razor thin margins with many teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. So they might want to enjoy this new found prosperity, while it lasts.