"We have to get used to the fact that emergencies are becoming the rule. Our role must be not only to organize shipments, but also to be informed and to advise customers in a timely, updated and accurate manner," says Massimo Delpozzo, sales manager of the Italian logistics company Nord Ovest, focusing on the current situation in the Suez Canal.
Massimo Delpozzo
"Almost all companies," says Delpozzo, "since mid-December have been reaching Asia by going around Africa, with 10 to 15 days extra transit time compared to the Suez Canal, which is blocked due to well-known geopolitical events. What this means for us, as fruit specialists, is that we need to be more proactive in organizing the voyage with our customers. 15 extra days is not a few days. "We know that the goods are going to arrive, but what is important for the fresh produce sector is that they arrive in good condition and undamaged.”
The rental fee for a standard reefer container to reach the Cape of Good Hope costs about $1,500 more than it did before December 15 via the Channel. And these costs require a precise and professional organization.
"Our company is at your disposal for any kind of expedition on a global scale. The important thing is to be well informed at all times and to work as efficiently as possible," he points out.
However, there have been no major changes on the other side of the world. "We divide the American continent into North, Central, and South. At the end of January, there may be an additional increase in freight rates for North America.”
For more information:
Massimo Delpozzo
Nord Ovest Spa
Via Motorizzazione, 19
12100 Cuneo
+39 0171 415 600/615
info@nord-ovest.it
www.nord-ovest.it