Mounting container shortages creating ‘total havoc’! Is it affecting the camera/lens production too?
Recently I have heard about many delays in the launch of cameras: The Canon R5II, the Sony ZV-E10II, the Nikon Z6III, the Leica MD and so on… Now, I know this is all based on rumors of release dates, no company has made any official promises. So this is a speculative post.
But in years past I’ve got Sony camera release dates right, so it’s unusual to hear of a delay in the launch of the Sony ZV-E10II (again, these are rumors from reliable sources). Another interesting fact is that Canon has not launched any new cameras in 12 months (Note: the Canon R1 launch was a development note), Nikon has not announced a new camera in 8 months and Sony in 6 months. This is all rather unusual.
I then tried to investigate the possible causes of the production bottlenecks and found this: Worldwide shipping is experiencing huge delays due to the following reasons:
A surprisingly strong market, plus lower ship capacity due to the Red Sea crisis, is creating a shortage of both ships and containers.
Below I have added a long list of recent statements pointing out that there are indeed big problems in the supply chain.
I know most finished camera stocks are shipped by airplane, but the RAW materials and single components are often not. It is hard to believe that this does not also affect camera/lens production. What do you think?
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TheLoadster reports:
Vessel waiting time at the port is now three to 14 days, it added, due to port congestion. “Across almost all carriers we are seeing schedule delays.”
and
“Containers are barely arriving at any PRC or Malaysian port (or Singapore) before they are out laden again. The disruptions (port omissions, congestion) are playing total havoc with equipment planning. Across almost all carriers we are seeing schedule delays.”
It also noted that carriers are struggling to obtain containers across many more Chinese ports, including Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd in Yantian; Cosco, HMM, Hapag-Lloyd and MSC in Ningbo, Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk in Tianjin, and Cosco and CMA CGM in Qingdao.
And the forecast ain’t’ good:
“The current market demand defies all projections from six to nine months ago. We are close to what I call “covid19 shipper capitulation” – ie, there is no point fighting this. Just book space forward to ensure transport.
Transinfo reports:
The ongoing crisis in the Red Sea is significantly impacting shipping lines and their costs. Maersk is preparing a series of surcharges to cover a 40% increase in fuel costs. Shipping lines are also addressing an estimated 20% shortage of containers on the market.
And this is Maersk forecast:
Maersk expects the Red Sea crisis to persist until at least the second half of the year, possibly extending into 2024. At a recent conference, Hapag-Lloyd CEO Rolf Habben Jansen expressed optimism that the crisis will end before the year’s close.
Wefreight reports:
The delays have caused a domino effect, with extended delivery times now commonplace across global supply chains. For instance, ships are reporting up to a week’s delay in arrival times, significantly impacting downstream operations and inventory levels.
Ajot reports:
This shortage is leading to late arrivals and port omissions as carriers skip some port calls to try and keep up with weekly schedules at major hubs. Delays and omissions are contributing to reports of empty container shortages and congestion due to vessel bunching at some ports in China, with congestion also a problem in Singapore and Malaysia.
