eSwatini insurrection update
In news just in about the situation in eSwatini, the Transist Assistance Bureau (Transist) has been told that a state of martial law has been declared by King Mswati III.
Ocean rates soar while reliability plummets
Shippers are paying well over 300% more per box carried at sea, yet have to contend with the worst schedule reliability that the export-import industry has had to deal with since the advent of containerisation.
Transporters warned against violent eSwatini protests (* / **)
Transporters operating in eSwatini have been advised to proceed with caution, especially in the Manzini area, where youth rising up against the monarchy has resulted in burning barricades and stone-throwing, violently disrupting vital supply-chain traffic in the area.
Demurrage and detention charges double, report finds
The average demurrage and detention (D&D) charges across the world’s 20 biggest ports have doubled since last year, going up +104% after two weeks, according to an in-depth report published by Container xChange, a global online platform for the leasing and trading of containers.
BORDER BEAT: Staffing issue shuts down Ponto do Ouro
Mozambique’s southernmost border with South Africa, Ponto do Ouro, has been closed because of the same issue that has affected South Africa’s land border with neighbours elsewhere – no health officials to oversee Covid-19 health screening.
BORDER BEAT: Kopfontein and Skilpadshek – a headless-chicken situation
Cross-border hauliers have been advised that South Africa’s Kopfontein Border Post into Botswana has been closed “pending decontamination”, according to the Transit Assistance Bureau (Transist).
Cries for help as eSwatini burns
Anguished pleas for prayer as people fear for their safety in eSwatini were circulating via social media this morning, sketching a stark picture of a country collapsing under the violent insurrection of protesters deposing King Mswati III – Africa’s last living monarch.
Shippers seek alternatives as rates continue to spike
The rising cost of ocean freight rates could see traders - eager to widen their profit margins – coming up with alternatives to the status quo.
Carriers with most reliable schedules revealed
Shipping schedules may not be as reliable as you’d like them to be – but they certainly are consistent.
BORDER BEAT: Transporters warned about e-manifests
Stuck in cyber limbo is one way of describing the situation in Zimbabwe, where the country’s Revenue Authority (Zimra) has advised that there are 10 000 e-manifests awaiting clearance in Asycuda – the regionally used online method for digital clearance.
