Difficult! Foreign trade factories: the goods are ready, but can not be shipped out! Just now, the Ministry of Commerce has made its latest statement!

This past "Double 11", many manufacturing companies worked overtime, but this may be the last good day of the year. The Christmas shopping season abroad, which was once expected to be a great success, may not be as hot this year as it has been in previous years! 

Early Christmas sales season, foreign customers rush goods

Yiwu manufacturers are not happy: the goods are ready, but can not be shipped out

Christmas all over the world, perhaps inseparable from Made in Yiwu (Made in Yiwu).

In the global Christmas supplies market, Yiwu International Trade City, Zhejiang Province, the Christmas supplies area gathered hundreds of Christmas supplies merchants, two-thirds of the world's Christmas supplies are from here. Yiwu, said to be the world's largest "Christmas supplies factory".

For this year, Yiwu Christmas supplies industry shipments, August 23, a comprehensive interview with all parties to understand that since the beginning of the third and fourth quarter after the epidemic last year, there has been a continuous doubling of shipping freight, warehouse shortage, a box is difficult to find, and has not fallen back on the situation.

In the continued impact of the epidemic overseas, and the global shortage of capacity, the rhythm of supply has also been disrupted. According to Yiwu manufacturers, this year's Christmas supplies foreign trade business supply and demand imbalance, delayed shipments. "This year's shipment situation is rather special. At this point in time, Yiwu Christmas supplies manufacturers are grasping the time at full capacity to tighten production; from the feedback of this year's orders, although showing a return to 70% of the situation before the epidemic, but the final shipment situation is still to be determined, because the epidemic caused by the closure of the port, sea congestion, etc., so that manufacturers will be shipped on the conservative side of some, at present, it is still impossible to judge how much we finally shipped. " Zhejiang Yiwu City Christmas supplies industry association secretary-general Cai Qinliang told reporters.

Because of the global freight backlog, congestion, rising freight costs and other issues, many buyers may return empty-handed this Christmas shopping season. More than 10 years of business in Yiwu manufacturers, their mouth this year, "Tangled" refers to exactly: profits in the "freight, raw materials, labor" pressure has been greatly reduced, profits were further thinned, in this case, companies had to "rather not do, do less", to conservative way to maintain business. 

"The orders came early, but now the goods are ready, but can not be shipped out. The feedback we get from the freight forwarders is that there are no boxes. We have to keep in touch with the freight forwarders at the port every day, so we can keep track of the quotes in real time and understand the current level of congestion and tight capacity at the docks." Luo Youdong said. "From June to October this year, this is our shipping period. Each shipment I will go from 1 to 10 sea containers ranging, but this year's goods, if I have to go out completely, it is going to be a big loss."

At present, Christmas foreign trade people are doing their best to absorb the decline in profits, raw materials and labor pressure brought about by the epidemic. The biggest uncertainty behind this is the cost of shipping.

The epidemic has affected the efficiency of container transit, capacity has plummeted, freight rates have climbed sharply, and freight rates are now the biggest shackle restricting the growth of China's exports. Despite the rise in prices, the throughput of China's containers from January to June this year is still growing by 15% year-on-year, and also by 8.8% cumulatively over the same period in 2019. Sea freight rates may reduce our foreign demand to some extent.

Christmas season encountered shipping difficulties, the Ministry of Commerce's latest voice

August 26, in the Ministry of Commerce press conference, the Ministry of Commerce spokesman peak pointed out that every year June to August is the peak of Christmas supplies shipments, but this year, taking into account the risk of maritime stagnation, overseas customers generally through the online look at the goods and the way to sign an order in advance. Some orders have been shipped earlier than in previous years, to complete delivery, there are some orders due to booking difficulties or freight costs are too high, the backlog in the domestic warehouse, to bring pressure on business operations.

Some foreign trade enterprises said that due to the crazy price of international logistics and congestion, millions of Christmas trees could not leave in time to go overseas, the annual export volume of about 150 million yuan enterprises, had to spend 2 million yuan, renting 10,000 square meters of warehouse for Christmas trees.

It is important to note that in previous years, it took until the end of May to receive a full year of orders, but this year it was brought forward to March. Staff analysis, customers this year, the reason for early orders, in addition to last year due to the epidemic and in the wait-and-see state of orders in this year's centralized release, but also because of the tight supply of international logistics so that freight costs continue to climb, the shipping cycle lengthened, as a time-sensitive goods, customers believe that they must place orders in advance, the sooner you get the goods the more insurance.

Gao Feng said that the phenomenon of tight capacity and high freight prices is global. The Ministry of Commerce has worked with the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the General Administration of Market Regulation to take active measures in increasing container supply, upgrading shipping capacity and strengthening international cooperation. Localities have also increased the protection of shipping services for SMEs to help them reduce costs and losses.

"We will continue to work with relevant departments and localities to further study targeted initiatives, do a good job of stabilising foreign trade and smooth international logistics, strengthen cooperation with various trading partners and work together to meet the challenges." Gao Feng said.