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SHIPPING lines have suspended services to three Japanese ports hardest hit by the tsunami and are operating where they can, which is most of the country, but because of difficulties at other ports carriers have been reluctant to book cargo for Japan.
Because so much of Japan's export shipping is high-end electronics and many of the factories are located close to the nuclear power generation plants were electricity is cheaper, there is still little to ship even through there are accessible ports far away from disaster zones.
"UPS has resumed operations in Japan but some areas still have limited service," said the company in a notice to trade. "UPS has temporarily suspended service in northern, eastern and parts of central Japan."
"DHL flight and import-export operations are up and running and pick-up and delivery services are operating, however partly with some delays," DHL told its customers.
The lack export cargo in the supply chain is giving great cause for concern. Japan makes almost 40 per cent of the world's electronics and audio-visual components, according to a report by Daiwa Securities, which has important implications for China.
The world supply of lithium-ion batteries for chips and power-supply capacitors may be the worst hit technology industries, said Daiwa.
Japan is China's biggest source of imports, with a 13 per cent share, and China's second-biggest export destination, taking eight per cent of its shipments, according to official data.
Supply chain disruptions from Japan's earthquake could force Chinese firms to delay imports of key components, especially for digital products, and possibly postpone product launches, the official newspaper of China's commerce ministry said.
But the International Business Daily quoted Zhao Jinping, a researcher with China's Development Research Centre, as saying replacement parts could be found in South Korea and Taiwan.
Less sanguine economists polled by Reuters said short-term impact would be severe for China because of its close trade links with Japan. "We should see a profound impact on China's exports to Japan in Q2 and a slowdown of exports to the global market due to disruption of integrated supply chains," Isaac Meng, economist with BNP Paribas in Beijing told Reuters.
As it stands, the ports of Sendai, Onahama and Hachinohe are closed because their terminals are destroyed, said Maersk and the shipping line is not accepting bookings for these ports.
"Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kobe, Osaka and Hakata are open and operating, and we are accepting bookings to and from these ports," said a statement from the company.
US exporters with boxes at sea, often carrying perishables, are worried. A US-based branch of the Japanese food company exports $100 million in food products there each year and 60 Japan-bound FEUs are in limbo.
Containers in Oakland were put on hold since the Sendai, Hitachinaka and Kashima ports were closed, reported the Sacramento Bee. One container of California walnuts was swamped by the tsunami itself at a loss of $187,000.
India's trade with Japan has ground to a halt with ships refusing to pick up cargo bound for the far-eastern nation from Indian ports, reports Mumbai's India Today.
The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) said ships were not accepting containers for Japan.
India-Japan trade was valued at $10.3 billion during 2009-10, out of which imports from Japan, comprising goods such as machinery, automobiles, steel and electronic products, account for $6.73 billion. India's exports to Japan were valued at $3.63 billion and consist of iron ore and fruit.
News about the steel sector from Japan indicates Japanese steel giant Nippon Steel has shut down, but Kobe Steel has not been affected much, said the India Today report.
(Source:http://www.schednet.com)
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