10 FOCUS PSI Journal 6/2012 www.psi-network.de DURATION COMPARISON 2008 - 2012 SERVICE MODULE EXPRESS IN 2008 STANDARD IN 2008 EXPRESS IN 2012 STANDARD IN 2012 Complete export management in China Actual travel time HKG – HAM Import management in Hamburg Onward carriage by lorry to place of destination Complete duration from takeover in China to place of destination Source: Cargo Seal dated at a total loss. Many externally financed ships are therefore offered for sale on the world market for their salvage value after only five years or so. The problem is exacerbated by the differing ship capacity utilizations, dumping rates and rising energy costs. One other reason, however, is bound to be that the current rates are definitely too high. CONSEQUENCES FOR MARITIME CARGO TRANSPORT Hence shipping companies are at present trying to get a grip on their often homemade problems by time-tested means. This is causing considerable capacity problems for container shipping due to the fact that the shipping companies have just decommissioned a large number of ships at short notice. These are lying “in the roads” and generating high costs for upkeep and mooring fees each and every day. At the present time, 300 ships have been taken out of rotation around the world, thus leading to considerable uncertainties and delays. Containers cannot be loaded and in some cases arrive weeks late. Moreover, many 3 days 5 days 4 days 6 days 21 days 24 days 24 days 26 days 2 days 4 days 3 days 4 days 2 days 2 days 2 days 2 days 28 days 35 days 33 days 38 days ships are sailing more slowly to lower fuel consumption. In any event, running times are longer. For instance, the route between Hong Kong and Hamburg took 20 to 22 days before 2008; now carriers calculate 26 days just for the voyage. What is more, on-carriage in many regions becomes more expensive when fewer ports are called at. Clearly, these are worse conditions, yet at present – just as at the end of the previous crisis – shipping companies have the upper hand. If you want to transport your goods, you will simply have to pay more. Apart from higher rates, importers must also put up with worsening service. Because less loading capacity is available, loads must be transferred more often, which also increases the danger of damage and causes additional delays. All importers are suffering under these complex consequences, since most calculate on the basis of maritime freight. The fact is that such a large volume of cargo can only be transported around the world by ocean freight. Air freight will never be a real alternative owing to cost and capacities, but also for reasons of environmental policies. Logistic processes nowadays are so sensitive that the consequences of delays can often threaten a company’s existence, so that reliable container transport always has to be the primary goal. For this reason, it is urgently necessary for shipping companies, investors and forwarders to think over their requirements and interests. The actual demands and the desired result of talks held on a partnership basis must be: reliable ship departures as needed, flexible service, quick connections between the world’s trading centres and a sensible pricing policy. This is the only way to ease the current situation quickly. EXPERIENCED CARRIER HELPS In a nutshell, our goal is to achieve the shortest handling times in the ports and minimum travel times – all with the objective of gaining time for ocean transport and in the end avoiding as much as possible expensive alternatives such as sea/air by way of Dubai or air freight. Accordingly, carriers are now confronted with the challenge of creating a sensible balance between service

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