• Storms in South Africa caused containers to go overboard last week.
  • The same storms limited vessel movement in and out of Cape Town.
  • Elsewhere, some Chinese and US ports have seen notable increases in their container volumes so far in July.

What’s Been Going On? 

MSC Loses Containers Overboard Near Port Elizabeth

  • An investigation is underway into the loss of containers that fell overboard from an MSC container ship in the waters near Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
  • There were also fears that the loss was creating a hazard to navigation into the port area. 
  • The vessel reported that it had lost a number of containers overboard in a storm. However, they reported that no dangerous cargo was lost overboard.

Storms Limit Vessel Activity Both in and Out of Cape Town

  • Stormy weather and rough sea conditions caused nine-metre swells, limiting vessel movement in and out of Cape Town.
  • The three storms battered the landscape and caused freezing conditions and snowfall on the mountains.

China’s Container Volumes Increase

  • Container volumes at eight major Chinese ports increased by 3.4% year-on-year in early July.
  • The export container volumes at Xiamen Port reported a year-on-year increase of 1.5%, whilst Guangzhou Port report growth of over 10%.

The Port of Oakland Sees Increased Loaded Import Volumes

  • The Port of Oakland reported an increase in loaded import volumes in June.
  • It has faced significant cargo declines since the start of the pandemic, but the current increase has reversed those trends.
  • Their loaded import volume grew by 1.9% in June.

The Global Logistics Tracker

  • This new interactive map allows you to receive information on the restrictions countries are currently facing due to the coronavirus.
  • It gets updated on a weekly basis to coincide with this update and help you visualise the logistical situation globally.
  • To try it out now, simply follow this link.
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