Typically, peak Season for shippers starts at the begining of October and goes through December, which includes planning for Christmas. With the unusual shipping delays of 2021, it's important for wholesalers to have a plan going into the holidays before production line fill up to full capacity.
Current ocean prices:
- Asia-US West Coast prices (FBX01 Daily) went unchanged at $17,377/FEU. This rate is 352% higher than the same time last year.
Asia-US East Coast prices (FBX03 Daily) were also stable at $20,695/FEU, and are 342% higher than rates for this week last year.
Ocean capacity in extreme demand and wholesalers inventories falling quickly, a new shipment strategy could help. Smaller- to medium-sized shippers are mitigating their cost risk by increasing their contract volumes this year with non-vessel-owning common carriers rather than directly with shipping lines.
A number of leaders from the freight industry with a broad range of economic expertise have a message for consumers:
- Get your holiday shopping done at least 4 - 6 weeks. Come the traditional buying surge time.
- Be prepared to accept your second or even third choice. Look for local or U.S. items. Make your own gifts.
- Don't wait. If you wait, be prepared to wait some more: Some products originally planned for the holiday season probably won’t arrive until sometime in 2022.
Click here to start view wholesale Christmas products with an ocean freight cost
