Neutral consolidator CFR Freight is beginning to see increased trade out of South America, including Mexico, to South Africa.According to Michelle Horner, trade manager at CFR Freight, not only are volumes growing but it is also a diverse mix of cargo including automotive and retail. Horner told Freight News that CFR Freight, as the only NVOCC with direct sailings out of Argentina into Durban, had noticed that volumes out of Argentina had been suppressed following the outbreak of Covid-19. “The pandemic has affected trade from this area and we have definitely seen a decrease in imports into South Africa from there specifically.” Despite the upheaval caused by the coronavirus Horner said services to and from South America remained intact. She said South America inbound and outbound was effectively covered by CFR Freight’s direct services and supported by their Europe and Singapore hubs. Important elements for the South American trade were fast turnaround and flexibility, she said. Commenting on the North American route, she said weekly services in and out of this market continued. Nic von Flemming, CFR national key account manager, said the success of this routing was amplified when considering the current US situation where driver shortages had made the supply chain f low significantly slower. “South Africa operates an end-to-end carrier chain for the prominent carriers to and from the USA, and thus any delays in either country result in scheduling delays later on,” he said. “The port issues in Durban and Cape Town are felt all the way round until the next South African call.
