As Chinese exports and consumer demand in the U.S. continue to surge, the resulting lack of capacity has doubled the cost of leasing and purchasing new containers. With longer waits, added equipment fees, and some major port congestion, managing this year’s peak season will be no easy feat. When you factor in the FMC’s reports of U.S. shippers claiming that carriers are prioritizing container returns over their exports in order to profit off of high rates, it appears the market is left with a pretty serious imbalance.

The airfreight market is showing consistent improvement after a challenging early part of the year. Volume is down for September according to the latest figures available from the IATA.

Retail inventories haven’t had much luck with stability, either. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the total business inventory-to-sales ratio recently reached a new low after hitting a record-high earlier this year in April, leaving retailers struggling to streamline their inventory flow in the wake of the coronavirus. Given these pandemic-induced struggles, many are wary of what’s in store for shipping as we head into 2021.

Despite a call for caution, more than 120 shipping giants are working towards decarbonizing the industry, while the impending U.S. Maritime Administrator nominee offers a similar opportunity for reducing global shipping’s carbon emissions. Such environmental initiatives help provide a brief glimmer of hope amid all of the chaotic disruption the industry is currently facing.

With a COVID-19 vaccine likely on the horizon, the massive work now begins for the global supply chain to get it distributed. It’ll perhaps be the biggest, most important, and difficult GLOBAL supply chain challenge, ever!

Here’s a more in-depth breakdown of this week’s curated content: