Australian retailers are so concerned stock will not arrive in time for Christmas that they are buying their own shipping containers and chartering their own vessels, a new report has found.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) Container Stevedoring Monitoring Report found that the COVID-19 pandemic and delayed shipments has created “extreme congestion” across the global supply chain.
It also found that a surge in demand for containerised cargo was leaving a number of Australian exporters struggling to meet their contractual obligations.
“International shipping line movements normally run lean and just-in-time, but a surge in demand and COVID-19 outbreaks that have forced numerous port operations to temporarily shut down have caused congestion and delays with a cascading effect across the globe,” ACCC Chair Rod Sims said.
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