There’s a mixed bag of issues impacting the container business at present, says Riaz Ismail, ZacPak national operations manager.“In the current economic environment, there is a heightened focus on cost and we are seeing this impacting on business.”According to Ismail, in an attempt to reduce costs exporters are sacrificing packaging and sometimes opting to use inferior products, at times to their detriment, as it means the cargo is not protected sufficiently.“As a result, cargo is not seaworthy and is then damaged in transit. The same applies to importers,” he explained. “Clients are also increasingly opting to use more skeletal crates as opposed to solid or sealed crates – again because of cost due to the rising price of timber.”Shippers are also increasingly reusing timber as they attempt to keep costs to a minimum, but Ismail warns against too much reuse, saying one still needs to take into account the many rules and regulations that prohibit the export of mouldy timber. “This practice also puts other exporters at risk of cross-contamination and possible quarantine at the destination. There is also an issue when cargo arrives with insufficient packaging. It remains a risky practice.”Ismail told Freight News there was a definite increase in enquiries for eco-friendly packaging in the country, but there were still too few alternatives available on the market. “Many of the eco-friendly solutions available cost far more than regular packaging and are therefore not always an option.”He says the lack of eco-friendly packaging is one of the major challenges at pre sent . “ We definitely expect to see a drive for more affordable eco-friendly packaging going forward, especially as the world seeks more environmentally friendly initiatives in every sector.”Asked about the container sector, Ismail said they were seeing empty depots more full than normal, usually an indication that export volumes were down. “Transporters are constantly being diverted to alternative depots as the regularly empty depots simply don’t have space. This also causes delays when transporters need to collect empties for exporters as many of the depots are heavily congested.”Ismail said the ongoing shortage of 20-foot containers remained problematic for the industry. “Our industry also faces a severe skills shortage, with very few young people interested in the business due to the long hours and heightened stress levels.”He added that despite the numerous challenges, ZacPak remained optimistic about 2023 and was forecasting growth for the year. “At present, we are seeing an increased number of requests for heavy-duty heat wrapping of machinery and spare parts for exports.”
