Containers taking twice as long to reach their destination

New data shows how much longer containers are taking to reach their destination on the main east-west tradelanes, helping explain the port snarl-ups seen across the world over the past year.

San Francisco-based freight forwarding and customs brokerage Flexport provides a weekly measurement called the Ocean Timeliness Indicator, which measures the time taken from the moment cargo is ready from the exporter until the importer takes delivery.

On the transpacific eastbound, the average time in 2019 prior to the pandemic was 45 to 50 days. The latest measurement on 2 January 2022 was a new record high of 110 days.

Similarly for Asia to Europe, the pre-pandemic average transport time was around 55 to 60 days, whereas the situation on January 2 was 108 days.

“This extreme increase in transportation time leads to a similar large increase in the demand for containers – simply because each container is tied up much longer than usual,” analysts from Sea-Intelligence pointed out in their latest weekly report.

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Justin H.

I was engaged for rapid deployment of contract works in Falun, Sweden which required me to ship some materials to Sweden for the works to be executed. After nothing but extreme pain from the suppliers to get my goods to Sweden, I reached out to International Freight Solutions off the back of reviewing public feedback about their services. I could not have been happier. The team I was dealing with (Jamie and Adam) went above and beyond to guide me on what I needed (EORI number and everything else), kept me updated for the entire cycle of collection, shipping and delivery that I was always up to date and never concerned. Payment and any extra fees for customs or services was all straight forward. It really is this kind of service where there are no grey areas, total professional advice upfront and continued updates maintained, start to finish. For this, it makes me comfortable that future shipping will be trouble-free and I will certainly head straight back to IFS. Thanks Jamie and Adam. Back from Sweden tomorrow. Without your efforts, this would not have even started and got off the ground!

Response from the owner:Thanks for taking the time to leave a really great and detailed review - it means a lot to us! Jamie and Adam will be pleased with the mention too! We really look forward to assisting you again next time.

Daniel W.

I would like to give a special positive review to Catherine Gibson our account manager. Catherine's communication is great along with her speedy competitive quotes. Her communication and updates with our air / sea imports are always up to date and accurate. We have been using International Freight Solutions for well over 12 months now and look forward to many more years working together.

Keep up the good work !!!!

Dan Willerton

Healthy Step (Sensograph) Ltd
Unit E209 Warmco Industrial Park,
Manchester Road, Mossley,
Ashton-under-Lyne,
Lancashire
OL5 9AY

Response from the owner:Many thanks for your great review Dan, it really means a lot to us and especially Cath as she’s bouncing along the clouds now!!

Sam R.

Amazing service from Paul - super helpful, informative and really has a wealth of knowledge. It is a pleasure working with him for our business needs.

Response from the owner:Sam, thanks so much for the kind words and taking the time out to leave such a fantastic review! Looking forward to assisting you again.

Joanne G.

Perfect to deal with and nothing is too much trouble.

Response from the owner:We really appreciate you taking time to leave your kind review - many thanks Joanne!

Clark O.

I used IFS and was genuinely impressed with their pricing, booking process, and customer service. Catherine and Paul went above and beyond to ensure everything was handled professionally and personally 🙂

Response from the owner:Many thanks for the great review Clark, it really is appreciated!

Jonny C.

Quick quotes, helpful team, and a great service all round. Paul is very knowledgable and his experience is very reassuring

Response from the owner:Your great review is very much appreciated Jonny - Paul will be chuffed with the mention too!

Sam C.

Paul and his team have been super helpful in arranging import and export of goods for my business. I would recommend them to anyone looking for efficient freight forwarding services

Response from the owner:Really appreciate the great review Sam, it means a lot to us - thank you

Mick P.

Great service and best prices from this company for door to door global freight. We deal with Catherine who is very helpful and efficient from quote to delivery of the goods.

Response from the owner:Really appreciate your kind words Mick and I’m sure Catherine will be pleased she got a mention too! We look forward to assisting you again!

Sharon T.

I can’t recommend this company highly enough.
I had no idea what was involved in shipping large items internationally but Jamie led me through the whole process going above and beyond to help me from collection to delivery.
Great service throughout.
Thank you so much Jamie.

Response from the owner:Thanks so much for the great review Sharon, it means a lot to us and Jamie will be buzzing with your kind words!

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