On Monday afternoon, the Ever Given freighter was refloated after being stranded for 6 days in one of the narrowest stretches of the Suez Canal, thus blocking one of the world's busiest sea lanes.
Spanish fruit and vegetable exports to the Asian continent are not large at this time. Shipments mostly contain various kinds of leafy vegetables, citrus fruits and, to a lesser extent, berries. Therefore, in general, the direct impact on the sector has not been that significant. However, the shipments made two weeks ago or before the Ever Given got stuck in the Suez Canal will arrive at their destinations with a delay of between ten and fifteen days, so the quality of the products will be compromised.
The rise in fuel and freight prices, which are expected to continue increasing in the coming days, is much more harmful. According to the head of the commercial area of Partida-Logistics, a Spanish company based in Algeciras and specialized in customs procedures and logistical support of import, export and transit goods by sea and road, the impact of the current imbalance in maritime traffic will be most noticeable after this week and the next.
"The worst consequences of the blockade of the Suez Canal are coming now. At the end of this week and the next, many more ships than usual will arrive at Spanish ports, mainly those of Valencia, Barcelona and Algeciras, which are important gateways for the entry of goods coming into Europe from the Asian continent, especially those that pass through the Suez Canal."
"This will translate into bottlenecks, as there won't be enough trucks to deliver so much merchandise in such a short time. Terminals will fill up and there will be a lack of room for storage and queues. It should be taken into account that the Easter holidays begin on Thursday and the terminals will close, so the worst will come between Monday and Tuesday. Spanish ports are going to have a hard time these days," says Ávaro Partida.
Therefore, there will likely be great difficulties to handle all customs operations, as well as significant delays in the arrival of goods and tension between importers and exporters, especially in transactions with perishable goods, such as fruit and vegetables. "Who will assume the extra costs?" I don't think the situation will normalize in less than two weeks," says the commercial manager of this company.
For more information:
Álvaro Partida
PARTIDA – Logistics
T: +34 956 58 16 11
M: +34 652 09 44 32
apartida@partidalogistics.com
www.partidalogistics.com