The Freight Forwarders Association of Mauritius (ATM) island has already informed its members of this latest development. According Varen Andee, spokesman for the ATM, it is clear that importers pass on to consumers. "Any additional expense is obviously passed on to consumers. According to my analysis, however, there will not too much impact on the prices of imported products, "he said. The reason is that other shipping companies now come into play in order to play the competition in terms of freight costs.
While the cost of sea freight has increased, it is that the price of products from Asia and Europe could experience a 20% increase.
Varen Andee, the Freight Forwarders Association of Mauritius, however, is optimistic. He said it had been decided in the first instance, to delay the increase of USD 500 per tonne of goods for export.
This increase should be effective in mid-April, to be in tune with the rest of the market. Adding that freight traffic between Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean is in the process of taking the bull by the horns, after a period of sluggish last year in Eastern Europe. Factors therefore form the basis for this increase.
Already, a German shipping company German Hapag-Lloyd, informed its customers that it intends to revise upward the freight cost of USD 500 per tonne of cargo from May 14.
Shipping companies argue that the cost of freight between Asia and Europe fell last month to 940 USD per tonne after the 'Shanghai Containerised Freight Index'.