– People struggle to see the effects of the oncoming Peak Oil debacle. For a small and rather isolated nation like New Zealand, the effects won’t be long in coming in terms of the cost of goods and their availability. Read on dear reader.
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On Easter Sunday, Kiwi exporters witnessed a minor miracle. The 260m container ship OOCL New Zealand cruised into Auckland Harbour, the first port on her maiden voyage to these waters. Capable of carrying 4578 containers, she is the largest freighter conducting regular services to New Zealand.
For Auckland exporters the giant vessel was a welcome sight, as she was in the ports of Lyttelton, Wellington, Napier and Tauranga last week.
Shipping companies have drastically slashed services to this country as they try to stem crippling losses – estimated at more than US$20 billion ($28 billion) globally last year.
The shortage of space means exporters are having to book up to eight weeks in advance and orders are being bumped and left on the dock during the peak season, which ends next month. Goods are also taking a day or two longer to reach their destination thanks to a shipping company go-slow policy aimed at saving fuel, reducing the shelf life of perishable goods.
So the introduction of OOCL New Zealand’s huge capacity is a boon. But she is also a troubling sign of changes in the industry that pose a direct threat to this trading nation’s ability to earn its way in international markets.
– More… ➡
– research thanks to Tony H.