b'JUNE 2024RO/RO TRANSPORTATION 37(EASINGcontinued fromthought to be imminent.page 32) Meanwhile, the projected ECGsSturgeonalsoexpansion of the worlds car-emphasizedthatbecauseofcarrying vessel fleet over the the lack of capacity, storagenext few years risks worsening costs for vehicles have goneportcongestion,according to up. Storing cars is not a cheapWalleniusWilhelmsensCEO, business and it could lead toLasse Kristoffersen.long-term stock maintenanceIn an interview with The programshavingtobeputFinancial Times, he said it was inplace.Itsnotreallyinunlikelyterminaloperators anybodysinteresttobuildwould increase port capacity cars for stock. at the same rate and that as WhileECGsrecentaresult,congestionatports cross-checking of the congestionwould worsen. We think the situationindicatesnomajornextbigbottleneckwillbe delaysinvehiclescomingterminals and distribution.inandoutofEuropesautoHiscommentswere ports, this does not mean theyconfirmedtoAJOTbya are arriving at dealerships orcompany spokesperson.to end-consumers as would beThenewspaperreported the case under normal supplythatshippingcapacityhas and demand conditions. been flat for the past 10 years, StocksaresittinginWallenius Wilhelmsen Ro/Ro vessel butthenumberofvehicles port terminals, in compoundsmoved last year increased by andininlandterminalsnotrent,fundamentalproblemmarketasawholeisnotouthighvolumes,including17%on2022,fillingnearly because theres a backlog infacingtheEuropeanmarketdoing enough to really movethose to Europe. all the available ships.deliveries, due to a shortagewhich is record high stocks the needle on vehicle storageThesurgeinChineseQuoting data from maritime of trucks or whatever, but duecompared to record lows twoacross Europe. exports may be partly explainedconsultancyMSI,itsaid to the simple fact that thereand a half years ago. bytheanticipationofnewoperators have responded by aremorecarsavailableforTheEuropeanmarketc hinaseV e xPortt sunaMi trade tariffs being applied inplacingordersfor198new salethancustomersbuyingis in a stable phase and onlyFiguresforChinesethecomingmonthsinbothships that are due to arrive by them, Sturgeon explained. expected to grow very slightlymanufacturers show that theirthe US and Europe. the end of 2027.He noted that in the caseover the next few years. So,global exports totaled over halfNew customs duties imposedSturgeonsaidthatthe of the Italian port of Livorno,the overall stock situation isamillioncarsinbothMarchbytheBidenadministrationvessels on order were all high-whichhasbeenoneofthenotgoingtoimproveuntiland April and theres little or noon electric vehicles are due tocapacity ones9,000-10,000 worst-affected by congestion,productionisreducedandevidence of them slowing up atcome into force on 1 AugustCEU. But I would argue that some additional storage spacethere are no obvious signs ofall, Sturgeon observed. withtariffssettoquadruplehandling such volumes would hasbeencreatedtofacili- that happening. So,wecanassumeatto 100%. onlyrepresentachallenge tatevehicleflowsthroughImsurethatsomeofthisstagethattheresnoInEurope,adecisionfortheportsifOEMskeep the port. But capacity relieftheOEMsareengagedinchange in Chinese productiononnewcustomsdutiesonproducingmorecarsthan doesntreallysolvethecur- thisindividually,buttheand theyll continue to pumpChineseelectriccarsisthey are selling. Liberty Global Logistics LLCA Leading Ocean Shipping & Logistics Company516-488-8800 LibertyGL.com1979 Marcus Ave # 200, Lake Success, NY 11042'