| HEADLINE COUNTRIES
AUSTRALIA – There was an industry wide spike in air transport delay to Australia through July and early August – please review the link: https://www.bitre.gov.au/statistics/aviation/otp_month
which provides some good statistics on airline delays during this period. We worked with our partners to source multiple alternate carriers, including cargo transports, to bring the air transport timings back to a reasonable level, while balancing the reduced air capacity. While services are still not at pre COVID/weather disaster levels, we are seeing continued improvement using our opt-mized routing.
NETHERLANDS – NL Customs – IT Challenges causing delays for commercial DDP shipments. NL Customs have been experiencing intermittent IT delays, this was resolved mid-last week but resulted in some delays in customs clearance while backlogs were cleared. This was an IT issue that impacted all shippers clearing through the Netherlands.
UNITED KINGDOM – Royal Mail still expect planned single-day strikes by the Union on the following dates:
· Friday 26th August 2022
· Wednesday 31st August 2022
· Thursday 8th September 2022
· Friday 9th September 2022
Contingency Plans are in place already – please contact your Absolute Mail Logistics representative with any questions.
Our final mile carrier in the UK for tracked parcels and DDP shipments does not rely on Royal Mail for the final delivery and are not impacted by any Royal Mail industrial action.
Royal Mail has published its contingency plans to deal with the strike action and is putting managers in place to staff operational shortfalls. The major inbound hub in the UK is fully automated, so inbound postal material will be processed and sorted for final destination deliveries. The potential delay will be on the evening prior to a strike day, when sorted material cannot move to the local Royal Mail delivery hub, and will transfer a day later.
Royal Mail has also published the order in which final mile deliveries will be made on the day after each strike day:
· Tracked 24 parcels will take priority for delivery on strike days & Special Delivery Guaranteed, followed by Tracked 48 parcels.
We optimize sorting on untracked parcels and mail, and these are drop shipped to regional RM hubs throughout the UK for final destination delivery sort, we are not dropping to one RM hub to go through the Royal Mail sort process. This is our normal process so we anticipate only minimal delays 1-2 during the strike period.
OTHER DELAYS
AFGHANISTAN – All mail and parcel services are suspended indefinitely.
GREECE – Hellenic Post has updated that they are currently experiencing an IT system issue. The post is working to resolve this issue as soon as possible, however, items destined for Greece may experience delays until this has been fixed.
ITALY – Poste Italiane is reporting the backlogs/delays in processing parcels through postal customs have significantly improved, with final mile deliveries now only impacted by a few days.
JAMAICA – Jamaica Post has advised that their international mail processing center has been experiencing IT issues affecting the connectivity and customs-related procedures which have prevented the processing of International Mail. As a result, delays should be expected to items destined for Jamaica while this is resolved.
MACAO – Macao Post has informed that they have been assessed as being at extremely high risk of a community outbreak of COVID-19. In order to prevent this, the local government has declared a state of immediate prevention as of 19 June. As a result, all deliveries are suspended until further notice. Material can continue to ship but will be held on arrival until deliveries resume.
NEW ZEALAND – New Zealand post is advising they are experiencing normal service since mid-August, with minimal delays.
RUSSIA – All mail and parcel services are suspended indefinitely.
SOUTH AFRICA – South African Post – relocation of the office of exchange was completed in early August. The post advises that there are still delays as they clear the backlog accumulated during the move. |
