IPG NEWS
IPG looks to keep its customers, suppliers, and partners world-wide, all connected and in touch through its new IPG News Reports. This news source will highlight the most significant, relevant and day-day international trade and produce news stories.
We feel it’s very important to not only have a great understanding for our current market and country, but to maintain a worldly viewpoint and full understanding of all other markets and their effects on the fresh produce export/import industry. Please stay connected and informed through our news channel.
OVERVIEW GLOBAL MELON AND WATERMELON MARKET
March 5, 2021
The melon supply is currently shifting from Brazil to Senegal. The Central American melon season has started much too late. Normally, the first volumes arrive in early to mid-February, but this year no significant volumes have arrived on the European market until this week. The first Sicilian melons are also expected this month. So far, the growing season is looking very good. In China, production is underway in the Hainan province. Volumes are lower than normal, but prices are strong…
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Seattle-Tacoma To Congested Southern California Ports: We Feel Your Pain
March 4, 2021
Container ships try to make up time in Seattle-Tacoma and leave exports behind The waterfall effect from Southern California port congestion has caused an ebb of exports in the Pacific Northwest. Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) CEO John Wolfe reported Wednesday that full exports in January were down 13.4% year-over-year, from 66,410 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2020 to 57,517 TEUs this year. “When … there is congestion at those other gateways, the vessel schedules are so far off that when they get…
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Oakland Says S. Californian Congestion Spreading
February 25, 2021
Congestion in Southern California causes ripples in the north as Oakland volumes fall in January. Both import and export volumes at the Port of Oakland have fallen by more than 11% as the Covid-19 crisis induced congestion has impacted on the Southern Californian ports, with the shockwave spreading both north and east. According to the Port of Oakland the delays to vessels at both Los Angeles and Long Beach, which now stands at 60 ships at anchorage outside the ports,…
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Ocean Carriers Hold All The Cards In Contract Talks With Shippers
February 25, 2021
It’s annual-contract negotiation season for U.S. importers — and the hand they’ve been dealt couldn’t be worse. The deck is heavily stacked in ocean carriers’ favor. Incredibly, Asia-West Coast spot rates are now nearing a base rate of $5,000 per forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU), not including a few thousand dollars of extra charges slapped on top. There’s talk that spot rates could stay strong until Q4, if not 2022. Now is the time U.S. shippers negotiate annual contracts, which are…
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US Inventory Levels Remain Low
February 24, 2021
According to the latest Sea-Intelligence data, US inventory levels are at the lowest in the 28 years of data collection, even after an extended period where demand in the US has outstripped all expectations. According to Alan Murphy, CEO at Sea-Intelligence, if inventories were to return to pre-pandemic levels, and growth were to return to ‘normal trends’ then the effect on the container shipping industry would be that the whole of 2021 would see growth in the industry compared to…
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