LittleGreyCat

https://www.theguardian.com/business...al-sea-freight

I only noticed this by accident, but the 7th largest container shipper in the world is bankrupt and there are loads of containers stranded at sea because port and handling charges can't currently be met.

As far as I can tell, although Hanjin ship from the UK and NZ there is no direct link so (possibly) there is little risk of containers with UK emigrant/immigrant goods being involved, but the whole global shipping business seems to be in deep trouble through falling prices and over capacity.

Given that we rely on global shipping for much of our consumer goods this sin't looking good. Price rises and/or further bankruptcies possibly on the way.

Damson

Crikey, that's worrying. I'm not sure how much control over who actually ships your stuff you have. Do the removals companies give you a choice? I think I would be doing financial checks myself and picking the company that uses the most financially healthy one.

Pulaski

You get no choice over which ship your container is loaded on to. I suspect that in most cases the moving company doesn't get much choice either, or just puts the containers on the first ship headed in the right direction.

So far as the cost goes, the cost of carrying the container from port to port is a miniscule part of the cost of shipping either you home's contents from your house in the UK to your house in NZ. The bulk of the cost is in the loading and emptying the container, and trucking it to and from the port, and the administrative processing of the customs paperwork.

The same applies to the shipment of food or household goods - the shipping of the container between ports is a very small part of the over all cost of getting the goods from their source to the shop.

Kotare

I was a bit worried about my MX5 which arrives in Auckland on Sun :-) You have no control and one problem is transhipment between lines eg my container swapped ships (and lines) in Singapore.

The shippers just go for the cheapest solution which might be the riskiest line. Several container shippers are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and even the biggest (Maersk) is losing money due to low freight rates/overcapacity. Make sure you are well insured!

Damson

Maersk? Blimey. Certainly won't be good if that one goes.

It's all pretty alarming isn't it? So you carefully choose the removals peeps and insurers and pack all your worldly goods safely and then have to hand everything over to a company on the brink of collapse and there's nothing you can do about it?

You definately need insurance which will allow you to replace everything presumably. What actually happens to the stuff though? Does it get seized and you never see it again? Anyone want to halves on hiring a jumbo?

Stuff of nightmares.

Charismatic

Hairdressers everywhere are crossing their fingers for you. Only kidding, I quite like the MX5.

As for Hanjin who knows, I'm surprised creditors get to keep the goods being shipped as surely they don't actually legally belong to Hanjin to begin with.

Pulaski

They don't, the creditors are after the ships, and perhaps the containers thay Hanjin owns, but they have no claim on the contents. ..... That's not to say if a ship is seized and unloaded at a port where unloading had not been planned by Hanjin, at the instruction of the creditors that containers might be unduly delayed, or even lost.

Some very peculiar laws exist for claims against the owners of frieght on board, in the event that it is wrecked and salvaged (Google <general average> if you're interested), but I don't believe any similar rules would apply to insolvency of the ship owner.

Kotare

How non PC of you - acually it is an anniversary present for the wife - but I quite like them too :-). I am currently storing a Jaj XKR for a friend, now tnat is a boys toy.