Latest update on DACHSER Air & Sea Logistics operations

Latest update on DACHSER Air & Sea Logistics operations

With this update DACHSER would like to inform about the current DACHSER Air & Sea Logistics operations across the regions APAC, EMEA and Americas. In the attached document (see download below) it is listed whether a country organization of DACHSER is operational or, if only limited or not at all, why this is the case. Since the situation in the countries may change rapidly, the attached document will be updated on a regular basis and published on our website.

We sincerely regret any inconveniences caused to our customers due to the pandemic. At DACHSER, we have contingency measures in place and will offer our customers the best alternative solutions to keep the supply chain running. Anyhow, the situation at ports, airports or customs authorities might cause delays. Furthermore, the capacity situation on the global airfreight market is very tense as there are basically no passenger flights operating at the moment.

At the same time, DACHSER has installed strict hygiene measures (e.g. home office) to ensure a safe working environment and to do our part in stopping the spread of the virus. DACHSER is trying to keep the impact of these measures as low as possible, however, together with the official measures by the governments, the precautions may lead to some delays in the operations.

In case of any questions and/or queries, please feel free to contact your local DACHSER representative.

Striving for security of supply

In the recent past, supply chains have proven increasingly fragile and at risk. The reasons are manifold. To counteract this, companies are taking far-reaching measures. What these look like and how DACHSER can manage complex supply chains against this backdrop are the thoughts of CEO Burkhard Eling.

The past 18 months have laid bare some of the weak points in the global economic system: just-in-time with lean warehousing, the focus on individual manufacturing sites in Asia, and the one-sided concern with efficiency and costs—all relied on structures that proved too fragile and too susceptible to disruption.

Companies have now analyzed their supply chains and are taking concrete action, such as expanding their warehouse capacity in Europe and the US, decentralizing production, and obtaining raw materials and intermediate products from multiple suppliers. In short, they are striving for security of supply. But that does not imply a shift to de-globalization. Supply chains will remain global, but they will become more complex.

Finding solutions even under difficult conditions

At DACHSER, we have no trouble managing complex supply chains; in fact, it’s our core expertise. We’re able to offer solutions that work even under difficult circumstances, which explains our continued success in the first six months of 2022. But prospects are dim: enormous cost increases in almost all areas will stifle demand and, as a consequence, significantly slow the current growth momentum.

We are already hard at work preparing for this scenario. For instance, we’re investing in digitalization and automation to make supply chains more efficient and more transparent. But we’re also investing in the people at DACHSER. After all, digital skills at all levels of the company will decide our success in the future.

Sea freight: update on the global situation

Due to the ongoing disruption of the sea freight market, the after-effects (container shortages and frequent port congestion) continue to impact global supply chains. Below, we provide an update on all developments to minimize potential disruptions to your business.

US West Coast / San Pedro Bay / Port of Los Angeles

• The situation in the US has improved over the last 6 weeks, but there are still several container ships queuing in San Pedro Bay to enter the port to be unloaded.
• The impact can still be seen in the sea freight inland logistics chain. The constant and high volume of loaded containers flowing into the U.S. continues to make it difficult to relieve the existing backlog.

Suez Canal

• Although this incident occurred more than 10 weeks ago, sea freight traffic is still out of balance due to the so-called "ripple effects."
• After the unblocking of the Suez Canal, European ports were first congested due to the sudden and high inbound volume. This was followed by the Asian ports, especially the Chinese ports.

Ports of Hamburg and Bremerhaven / Rotterdam

• Due to the blockade of the Suez Canal and the aforementioned "ripple effects", operations at the ports of Hamburg and Bremerhaven were also out of balance.
• Due to this congestion, shipping companies were induced to re-route ships to Wil-helmshaven or to Rotterdam.
• Within the Rotterdam operation, delays are now also expected, possibly leading to disruptions in port operations.

Ports of Yantian / Shekou / Nansha

• Delays are occurring in the South China region (Yantian / Shekou / Nansha, etc.) due to restricted port operations. It is expected that the resumption of regular operations will have to be done gradually and that full capacity cannot be reached in the foreseeable future.

We are in close contact with carriers and service providers on a daily basis and do our best to make your supply chain as smooth as possible. For individual advice, please contact your local representative of DACHSER so that we can implement the best logistics solution for you.

Strides on a long road 

Assuming a valuable role in mitigating climate change is both a central responsibility and a challenge for logistics providers. Transport and warehousing are energy-intensive and have a large carbon footprint; one reason is that zero-emission trucks are not yet available in sufficient numbers. But technological change is already in full swing. Michael Kriegel, Department Head DACHSER Chem Logistics, describes the potential that can be utilized and the role logistics can play in protecting the climate.