Due to the frequent and substantial increases in overseas freight this year caused by the pandemic and climate challenges, Carow Packaging has created the International Freight Cost Management (IFCM) Team to help our customers plan their purchases more successfully. The IFCM’s charter is to monitor, analyze and communicate freight changes to our customers so they have more timely information to make purchasing decisions.
The IFCM team is comprised of Carow employees from Operations, Sales, and Product Management who understand how volatile international shipping costs and timing impacts your entire business.
Since international freight cost increases and shipping delays have occurred more and more frequently this year, the team will be analyzing costs and projected timing every month and communicating any changes or updates to our customers. We want to help you make smart decisions on when to order and the quantities needed to avoid any lost sales.
The Impact to Your Business
We’ve all seen the stories about how COVID and climate disasters continue to impact the global supply chain. Container shortages and congested ports are causing international shipping delays that are contributing to product shortages and higher costs. A labor shortage at the ports is also causing delays and adding cost to shipments. As of a few days ago, there was a record-breaking 44 container ships stuck off the coast of California worsening shipping delays and costs.
Freight capacity remains very tight and expensive. It’s not unheard of to see double or triple the shipping cost from last year. But even with inflated pricing, many carriers will still not guarantee sailing dates, forcing suppliers to upgrade to even more costly premium freight pricing or run the risk of not getting products in your hands to meet consumer demand.
You Can Count on Carow!
The Carow IFCM team will help you analyze and plan your packaging options by:
- Consistently communicating price changes that may affect your profit margin;
- Helping you forecast your packaging needs to order the right products at the right time to avoid any lost sales;
- Tapping into our industry expertise to suggest alternative packaging options, including our Eurodrop® caps and dropper pipettes which are produced here in the USA, allowing you to avoid international freight costs and enjoy much shorter lead times.
One more Carow commitment to help our customers – we will also be increasing our inventory on top selling products to be better able to meet any unforeseen needs you may have.
Since there is no relief in sight for international shipping delays and changing costs, your best bet is to get your orders in quickly so you don’t miss out on Q4 or Q1 2022 sales. Our Solutions Specialists, in conjunction with our International Freight Cost Management Team, are ready to help you. Just give us a call at 815-455-4600. You can count on Carow!
