UK costs of shipping higher than mainland Europe, research reveals
The cost of shipping to the UK is 24.2 per cent higher compared with mainland Europe, as a result of the supply chain crisis.
Research from global trade management firm ManSys has revealed that Europe’s three most expensive ports for a 20-foot container ship are Liverpool, with a £9,112 rate, followed by Southampton and London, at £8,306 and £7,900 respectively.
Liverpool also emerged at the forefront when considering the costs of shipping routes. The Shanghai to Liverpool route is in fact Europe’s most expensive journey for container ships, as it costs £7,959 – 24.2 per cent more compared with mainland Europe, which has an average cost of £6,409.
“The recent increase in containerised freight costs from Shanghai is significant,” ManSys’s international trade expert Will Berk said. “It has severely impacted many companies, hugely affecting import costs.”
In addition to being less expensive, European ports have also suffered less bottlenecks. According to Peter Sand, chief analyst at shipping benchmark platform Xeneta, the disruption suffered at northern European ports such as Hamburg is less severe compared with the UK counterparts.
“When compared to supply chain issued involving ports and hinterland connections in US and UK, the European ports are doing better,” he said.
“Yet, they too are impacted by the changes in consumer demand and impact by government-imposed stimulus as economies recover from the abyss of COVID-19. Goods are in very high demand, while services struggle to get back.
“Main northern European ports like Rotterdam, Antwerp and Hamburg also experience congestion, and ships waiting in line to berth, but as the comeback of inbound goods is smaller – so is the impact on ports and terminal.”