Container shortage limits apple shipments

Foreign demand is maintained for American apples but the shortage of containers has led to a marked decrease in shipments of apples to destination markets.

 

 

 

The negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are also observed on maritime transport, which is experiencing a shortage of containers. In the United States the available containers are not in sufficient number to ensure the exports of apples produced in the State of Washington.

 

 

 

So, according to Dave Martin, sales manager at Stemilt Growers, one of the leading fruit exporters based in Wenatchee, Wash., “Normally we ship 10 to 15 containers of fruit per week to Taiwan. This week we have no expeditions ".

 

 

 

This shortage stems from an imbalance. Since the start of the pandemic last spring, Americans have spent a lot less on services and a lot more on products that are mainly imported from Asia. These goods have submerged some west coast ports, notably Los Angeles, where ships wait for days before being unloaded. These ships, once unloaded in Los Angeles, collect goods from other ports on the west coast, such as Seattle or Tacoma.

 

 

 

In addition to these delays, observed in Southern California and then among exporters waiting to load, another parameter has been added. The profitability. Shipping operators can now make much more money by returning empty containers to China as soon as possible, rather than filling them with American agricultural products.

 

 

 

Eastbound freight (China to United States) is estimated at around $ 6,000 per container on average, compared to around $ 3,500 for westbound containers (United States to China). Some ships unload their products in Southern California and skip the scheduled stopovers in Seattle or Tacoma to return directly to Asia.

 

 

 

According to Northwest Seaport Alliance figures there are fewer ships calling at Seattle and Tacoma. For January 2021, only 125 ships called, almost -20% compared to the previous year. For professionals in the industry, in Washington State and elsewhere in the United States, this imbalance will have enormous repercussions throughout the chain.