Thread: Delivery issues USPS from USA

Originally Posted by timattalon

Not so sure about this. The demand in China for empty containers to ship out exports is so high at the moment, shipping companies make moor money taking exports to the US etc and returning with empty containers than they do shipping full containers both ways to NZ and Australia especially considering the difficulties getting sorted at our ports due to quarantine and requirements and capacity issues etc....

If a shipping company has to choose between a faster (empty boat) run that is more profitable and a slower full and less profitable run then it is an easy choice....This was starting to happen pre covid and I saw an article about 2016 by a shipping company here in NZ suggesting that in 5 or 6 years (about now...) we may need to look at subsidising shipping to get it to travel to our country or set up a dedicated Aus/ NZ transfer company so freight could be shipped to Aussie and we could 'pick it up from there....." I remember the rreaction was something along the lines of they were being self centred / wanting more money / excuse to jack up prices etc...but to me it looks like their prediction was closer to the mark than anyone would have liked....

Yeah thats what I was meaning.... grind to a halt here in NZ. Ships have been dropping off runs and less runs being done for the last 2 yrs and now they cant get them discharged / loaded here without huge delays tied up along side which adds to the cost.