The interruption and global scarcity of the supply chain caused by the Covid pandemic are established to continue well in 2022, according to a report. Digital supply chain experts Project44 say that the average delays in China’s shipment to Europe increased 6 days in December, after falling for months. Delays on China’s routes to the west coast of the United States have also increased steadily since October. The congestioned ports and the delays in production have interrupted the schedules for months. It is likely that delays continue well in 2022, said Project44, since the Covid outbreaks continue along the supply chains and consumers continue to buy at a healthy rate.
The report said that Covid continues to have a great impact on world trade, since shipping costs have skyrocketed, delays have become routine, and empty shipping containers around the world are in the wrong place. The blank candles will continue well in 2022, since ports work in arrears and consumer spending are still solid, Josh Brazil, vice president of data perspectives of the supply chain in Project44. Ships are also having to wait longer than expected in the port to load and download. As of January 25, for example, according to Lloyds List Intelligence, there were 82 container boats of Shanghai ports and Ningbo in China, waiting to take charge on board. On the other side of the Pacific, outside the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, 68 boats were waiting to download their load.
At certain points of last year, those numbers were higher, particularly in the US. But the tension in the supply chains is still serious. The ports around the world have been trying to accelerate things. There is a reason why port authorities are doing this: if some infection spread through the terminals, it would lead to its closure, causing greater delays. The main beneficiaries of this shock for the system have been shipping lines, which are making huge profits of mass demand, in the midst of fierce competition for space on container ships.