FlavorCloud Alerts: Weather Delays in Canada, Dynamic Changes to Landed Costs and Omicron Impact on Transit Times | FlavorCloud

Ecommerce is booming, and the Holiday season is in full swing. Demand is high, but managing the mayhem of supply chain issues has not made it easy. We have a few important updates to make you aware of, relevant to your shipments now and in the future.

The good news is FlavorCloud is here to help. We have the largest global carrier network with built-in supply chain redundancy, and we automatically optimize for the best routes, carriers, and up-to-date dynamic prices. We’re here to help you prepare to navigate supply chain issues and make your international shipping experience seamless and friction-free.

Weather Delays in Parts of Canada

Some parts of Canada have been experiencing extreme weather and flooding, impacting shipments into specific areas. We advise you to alert your relevant customers regarding impending delays.

Areas impacted are:

Nova Scotia
Canada Post has reported postal delays in Nova Scotia following torrential rains and flooding that have caused severe road infrastructure damages. Areas within Nova Scotia that are affected most are Inverness County and Victoria County.

Service delays are likely to continue as clean-up efforts, and repairs to infrastructure continue.

British Columbia
Devastating floods and landslides in British Columbia have also caused damage to many roads, rail lines, and bridges. This is making it difficult for Canada Post to carry parcels and mail into the province.

Roads are starting to reopen, but options are limited with slow traffic, lane reductions, and vehicle restrictions. Highway closures have also affected regions with the heaviest rain and flooding.

Omicron’s Impact

The new Omicron Coronavirus variant has the potential to add pressure to an already stressed supply chain at the busiest time of year. FlavorCloud has been keeping an eye on the situation as it unfolds, and we have some tips to help your international shipments go smoothly.

What should I look out for?

• Countries who have traditionally locked down early may have even slower customs clearance procedures i.e.
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • Read our 2021 International Holiday Shipping Deadlines here.
• DDU shipping may be more affected due to the collection of duties by the destination country (outside of the FlavorCloud DDP network) due to COVID-related lockdowns or workforce implications.
• Holiday volume-related bottlenecks with Standard shipping services.

What can I do?

• Monitor for transit time We will keep you updated when we see a potential lane having slower transit or clearance times.
• Upsell Express service levels.Express carriers tend to have smoother and faster clearance procedures than Standard carriers.
• Ship DDP! DDU will only slow down customs clearance times when the goods arrive in their destination country. DDP is already defaulted in FlavorCloud. If you are currently shipping DDU and would like to talk about switching, let us know!

Changes to Landed Costs

There are numerous factors causing changes within the trade landscape to export and import processes. FlavorCloud continues to monitor and optimize for what applies to each destination country. As a result of changes, additional surcharges, COVID, broker, customs, and carrier-related fees (including advancement carrier fees, automated export system (AES), electronic filing, and formal clearance) are now part of landed costs. We expect these to be dynamic by country, route, and carrier but will likely impact DDP rates by 10-20% over the next year.

Summary 

Supply chain and international shipping are unpredictable at the moment, but demand is high, and there is enormous potential growth to be tapped into.

Communicating with customers, being prepared, and shipping Express DDP will always be your best option.

FlavorCloud is here to help. If you have any questions or need any help with your international shipping, please get in touch at: support@flavorcloud.com. We will continue to keep you up to date on relevant news.