Australian exporters look to bulk shipping as container risks remain into the new year

Australian grain exporters that normally focus on the container trade may look to pivot to bulk shipments this export season due to high levels of volatility in world container markets. Rabobank's RaboResearch general manager Australia and New Zealand Stefan Vogel said container freight rates were currently particularly high and added there was also a higher risk of issues such as delays or cancellations. He said high container freight rates in the years since COVID-19 had seen a change in export patterns in smaller scale export sectors, such as the pulse market. "While traditionally Australian pulses have been exported in containers, sky high container freight rates due to supply chain disruptions during the COVID years had seen a pivot to bulk shipping, Mr Vogel said. "As container freight rates increased by up to eight times, pulse exporters swapped to bulk shipping to destination markets," he said. And while those supply chain disruptions, a host of other issues, including the ...