Ocean Shipping May Need To Brace For More Disruptions

It is a fact of life in logistics that delays in shipping may occur. This can be for reasons completely beyond anyone’s control, such as a catastrophe like an earthquake or tsunami damaging ports or rendering certain sea lanes unsafe. Then there is the unfortunate fact that different parts of the world sometimes engage in conflict, and warfare occurs, which can have an adverse effect on shipping.

So, it should come as no surprise that cold chain logistics, in particular, may be affected by shipping disruptions caused by conflicts around the globe.

Safety First

The world of shipping is no stranger to disruptions to shipping lanes due to conflict. The first major such shipping disruption occurred—and to a degree is still occurring—two years ago as shipping in the Black Sea rapidly destabilized when Russia came into conflict with Ukraine.

While shipping has improved in narrow corridors within the area, it is still an issue due to military aerial and naval activity in the area. As a result. Cargo-carrying vessels do well to avoid conflict zones if they don’t want to risk their freight being damaged or even sunk.

Other Hotspots

Unfortunately, this trend is growing. The latest military activity in the Gaza region now has repercussions for shipping lanes in the Red Sea. This means that even if cargo is not on a ship that regularly plies the Red Sea trade routes, delays may still occur as the excess of ships that normally travel that lane is rerouted to other areas, causing more time than usual to be spent processing freighters at alternative routes.

And this may continue in the future for other parts of the world. Another area of concern is the extremely busy China Sea region, with the delicate China/Taiwan situation. Should a military conflict occur here, that would have profound effects on shipping lanes throughout Asia.

Be Prepared

This is why precautions such as passive pallet protection are more sensible than ever. If there are any delays in departures or arrivals of ships, particularly when you have temperature-sensitive freight that is waiting to be loaded, a delay can severely impact those products, possibly even rendering them unsafe in the case of food, beverages and pharmaceuticals.

Passive pallet protection can provide the added safety of keeping these products at their optimal shipping temperature, even without the benefit of a reefer unit. If you’re shipping a lot this year and are looking for lower-cost, sustainable shipping alternatives, we can help. Contact Protek Pharma with your questions and get a free sample.