Author name: ROY

在货代行业中，预付（Prepaid）和到付（Collect）是两种广泛应用的运费支付方式。这两种方式不仅影响着船司、货代公司的运营，还直接关系到收发货人的风险和费用问题。 预付（Prepaid） 定义：运费在货物发运前或在装船时由发货人支付。 对船司的影响 风险：资金风险低，船司在运输开始前即收到运费，无需担心运费无法收回的问题。同时，预付运费有助于减轻船司的财务压力，确保船舶的正常运营。 费用：由于资金风险降低，船司可能会提供更具竞争力的运费报价。此外，提前结算运费还能提高船司的资金利用效率。 对货代公司的影响 风险：货代公司资金风险低，资金周转速度快。预付运费降低了因运费未收回而导致的经营风险。 费用：预付运费简化了运费管理流程，减少了财务处理的复杂性。同时，降低了货代公司垫资的压力，有助于降低运营成本。 对发货人的影响 风险：发货人需要在货物发运前支付运费，导致资金占用。若货物发生损坏或丢失，追讨赔偿可能更加困难。 费用：发货人需要提前准备运费资金，增加了资金管理的复杂性。但另一方面，由于降低了船司和货代的风险，发货人可能享受到更低的运费报价。 对收货人的影响 风险：收货人无需承担运费风险，资金压力较小。但需确保货物质量和数量与合同相符，以减少货物质量问题带来的纠纷。 费用：收货人无需支付运费，整体采购成本较低。这有助于收货人在其他方面与发货人进行价格谈判，提高议价能力。 到付（Collect） 定义：运费在货物到达目的地后，由收货人支付。 对船司的影响 风险：资金风险高，船司需承担运费未能及时收回的风险。若收货人拒付运费，可能会影响船司的运营资金。 费用：为了覆盖潜在的资金风险，船司可能会提高运费报价。同时，船司需加强财务管理，确保及时收取运费，增加了财务处理的复杂性。 对货代公司的影响 风险：货代公司需承担收货人拒付运费的风险，影响资金周转。此外，可能面临更多的客户纠纷，增加管理成本。 费用：货代公司可能需要垫付部分运费，增加财务压力。同时，需要更多的时间和精力来管理和追收运费，增加了管理复杂性。 对发货人的影响 风险：发货人无需预先支付运费，资金压力较小。但若收货人拒付运费，可能会影响货物交付和货款回收。 费用：发货人无需提前准备运费，资金使用更灵活。但可能需要与收货人协商运费支付问题，增加了业务复杂性。 对收货人的影响 风险：收货人需在货物到达后支付运费，增加了资金压力。若拒付运费，货物可能会被船司或货代公司扣押，影响货物交付。 费用：收货人需要准备运费的资金，增加了整体采购成本。但在支付运费方面，收货人有更多的主动权，可以在谈判中争取更好的条件。 总结 预付方式降低了船司和货代公司的风险，运费可能较低，但发货人的资金占用较大。到付方式则使收货人承担更多资金压力和风险，船司和货代公司面临较高的资金和业务风险，运费可能较高。因此，在选择运费支付方式时，各方需综合考虑自身情况，权衡利弊，做出明智的决策。

Despite the current downward trend in freight rates in the container shipping market, its profitability potential still attracts new players. According to the latest news from One Shipping, a new shipping company called "STF Shipping" recently announced its entry into this field and launched five Sino-Russian Far East routes at one time. It is reported that STF Shipping was incorporated in Hong Kong in December 2023, although it has been established for less than a year, the owner behind it is Yu Pengsen, a Chinese citizen. The company describes itself as a young and dynamic company focused on providing port-to-port services to China, South Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia and the Far East. Although STF Shipping is registered in Hong Kong, it is headquartered in Shanghai and has branches in Ningbo, Seoul, Vladivostok and Nakhodka. The STF in the company's name stands for Safety, Timeliness and Flexibility, reflecting its core values. Currently, STF Shipping operates a fleet of six feeder container vessels with a capacity of between 1100-2200TEU. These vessels include the Xin Hua Yuan (1288TEU), the Xin Long Yun 89 (1744TEU), the Xin Long Yun 88 (1118TEU), the Mao Gang Quan Zhou (2206TEU), the Mao Gang Guang Zhou (2206TEU) and the Xin Long Yun 16. Xin Long Yun 16”（1118TEU）。 The launch of five China-Russia Far East routes marks the official debut of STF Shipping in the container shipping market and demonstrates its determination and strength to actively explore new markets.

According to the latest news from China Railway Kunming Bureau Group Co., Ltd., the international freight train traffic volume of the China-Laos Railway has historically exceeded 10 million tons, marking a solid step forward in promoting regional trade and economic development in this "steel link" connecting China and Laos. Since its official opening on December 3, 2021, the China-Laos Railway, a cross-border railway with a total length of more than 1,000 kilometers, has rapidly emerged as a core logistics channel connecting China and Southeast Asia with its unique geographical location and efficient transportation capacity, and is known as the "Golden Line". With the passage of time, the cross-border cargo transportation network of the China-Laos Railway has been continuously expanded, and now covers more than 10 countries such as Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar, becoming an important force in promoting regional trade integration. The types of goods transported have also rapidly expanded from more than 10 basic commodities such as rubber, fertilizer, and department stores to high-tech and high value-added products such as electronics, photovoltaics, communications, and automobiles, totaling more than 2,900 kinds, fully demonstrating its strong cargo carrying capacity and market adaptability. In order to ensure the safe and stable operation of the international freight trains of the China-Laos Railway, the railway authorities of China and Laos have worked closely together to continuously increase the maintenance and technical handover of cross-border freight trains. By strengthening the inspection of key components such as vehicle braking systems and the use of advanced vehicle ground ventilation equipment, the single-day train maintenance capacity has been increased to 1,000, and the cumulative safety maintenance of more than 330,000 cross-border cargo trains has been completed, providing a solid safety guarantee for cargo transportation. With the continuous growth of freight traffic, key comprehensive development projects along the China-Laos Railway have also been implemented and put into operation. These projects include key facilities such as the customs supervision operation site of the Kunming Railway in China and the South Loading Yard in Vientiane, Laos, which have further enhanced the cargo transportation capacity and efficiency of the China-Laos Railway and injected new vitality into the prosperity and development of the regional economy. The milestone of the China-Laos railway freight volume exceeding 10 million tons is not only an affirmation of the hard work of the railway authorities of China and Laos, but also a good indication of the future cooperation prospects between the two countries and Southeast Asia. With the further development of regional trade and the continuous optimization of the operation of the China-Laos Railway, this "golden line" will surely play a more important role in promoting regional economic integration and promoting the common prosperity of countries along the route.

As of the end of August, Shanghai's foreign trade showed a steady upward trend, with a total import and export volume of 2.81 trillion yuan, a slight increase of 0.6% over the same period last year, which is particularly impressive in the context of general pressure on global trade growth. In the first eight months, the export volume reached 1.17 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 2.9%, while the import value was 1.64 trillion yuan, although it fell slightly by 1.1%, but the overall structure continued to be optimized. In the first eight months, the total amount of processing trade was 375.97 billion yuan, down 2.2 percent year-on-year, 0.7 percentage points narrower than that in the first half of the year. In contrast, general trade continued to be the main force of foreign trade, accounting for half of the country, reaching 1.68 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 0.5%, accounting for 59.8%. From the perspective of market players, the diversity of Shanghai's foreign trade has been reflected. Private enterprises and state-owned enterprises showed strong growth momentum, accounting for 32.4% and 10.4% of total foreign trade respectively, and achieved positive growth. Although foreign-funded enterprises accounted for 57.1%, the total import and export volume decreased by 2.8% compared with the same period last year. In terms of trading partners, despite the slowdown in the demand of traditional markets such as Europe and the United States, Shanghai's foreign trade has not stopped. Although the import and export of major economies such as the European Union, the United States and Japan have declined to varying degrees, at the same time, the economic and trade cooperation between Shanghai and ASEAN and countries along the "Belt and Road" has become increasingly close, and the import and export of these two regions in the first eight months have achieved an increase of 4.4% and 4.3% respectively, becoming a new bright spot in the growth of foreign trade. It is worth mentioning that mechanical and electrical products continue to play a key role in Shanghai's exports, with total exports reaching 803.54 billion yuan in the first eight months, a year-on-year increase of 2.3%, accounting for nearly seventy percent of total exports. Of particular interest is the export of ships, which has become a star product in the export field with an astonishing growth rate of 104.8%. In terms of imports, electronic information products such as storage components, central processing components and flat panel display modules achieved double-digit growth, while automobile imports faced adjustments, with imports falling by 21.9% year-on-year. To sum up, Shanghai's foreign trade has shown strong resilience and flexibility in the complex and volatile international environment, and has effectively coped with external challenges by optimizing the trade structure, expanding emerging markets and strengthening the export of key products, laying a solid foundation for the steady growth of foreign trade throughout the year.

According to the well-known shipping information "Trade Wind", Danish shipping and logistics giant AP Moller-Maersk revealed an important prediction in its latest European market report: this year's annual peak season for container transportation is expected to come earlier. This forecast is based on a number of observations that show that in Europe, the traditional peak season will start earlier than usual due to a combination of potential factors. Maersk provides an in-depth analysis of the drivers behind them, noting that companies have taken strategic action to move goods to European shores ahead of possible future supply chain disruptions. This precautionary increase, together with a strong increase in demand, kicked off the peak season ahead of schedule. In the face of the continuous impact of geopolitics on international trade in recent years, shipping companies have generally strengthened their attention to on-time delivery of goods. Maersk noted that widespread disruptions on major trade lanes have not only impacted ocean freight rates, but have also taken a toll on capacity, prompting companies to race to lock in space to ensure stable inventory levels in their target markets. However, as the summer holidays in Europe deepen, Maersk is facing the challenge of labor shortages at several hubs and terminals in Europe. Although the Maasvlakte II terminal in Rotterdam is currently operating normally, weather disruptions near the Cape of Good Hope have caused delays for some westbound vessels heading to Europe. Maersk is tackling this situation at full risk to ensure route reliability and mitigate the knock-on effects that delays can have on overall service. In addition, the Hutchinson Port Delta II in the Port of Rotterdam is also facing labor shortages, and the ship's gravity guidance time has been extended to about 24 hours. However, Maersk expects the terminal's operations to gradually return to normal levels from week 35 onwards. Overall, Maersk is responding to various challenges to ensure stable and efficient container transportation services in the European market. While predicting the early arrival of the peak season, it also demonstrates the company's ability to be flexible and adapt quickly in a complex market environment.

In the first half of 2024, the economic and trade cooperation between Shanghai and the ASEAN region showed strong vitality, and the bilateral trade volume continued to rise, reaching a new high of 230 billion yuan, achieving a steady growth of 3.64% over the same period last year. Among them, Shanghai's total exports to ASEAN exceeded 100 billion yuan, surging by 14.5% year-on-year, demonstrating Shanghai's strong strength as an international trade hub. Recently, the Shanghai Council for the Promotion of International Trade and XTransfer, a comprehensive foreign trade service platform, jointly released the "Analysis Report on the ASEAN Market of Shanghai's Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises Exported to ASEAN in the First Half of 2024". The report provides an in-depth analysis of free trade and opportunities, revealing the significant positive effects of the FTA upgrade for enterprises. According to the report, during the first half of the year, the Shanghai Council for the Promotion of International Trade issued a total of 2,929 preferential certificates of origin for goods exported to ASEAN countries, a significant increase of 37% in the number, and the total amount of visas also reached 220 million US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 13.77%, which marks the successful entry of more Shanghai products into the ASEAN market with preferential treatment. In terms of the distribution of specific countries, Thailand topped the list with a visa amount of 106 million US dollars, accounting for nearly half of Shanghai's export visa value to ASEAN (48.40%). It is followed by Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines, which together account for nearly half (48.80%) of the total visa value, demonstrating Shanghai's close trade ties with these ASEAN core economies. It is worth noting that the proportion of export visas in emerging markets such as Myanmar, Cambodia, Brunei, Laos and other ASEAN emerging markets is also on the rise, indicating that the number of foreign export visas issued by the Municipal Council for the Promotion of International Trade involving the ASEAN region reached 167, a year-on-year increase of 25.6%, covering the value of goods of more than 43 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 13.49%, which further promoted the flow of goods and economic and trade cooperation between Shanghai and ASEAN. In particular, the report specifically pointed out that in the first half of 2024, the "total amount of a single order" of Shanghai's small, medium and micro foreign trade enterprises in the ASEAN market increased by an average of 15%, which not only reflects the increase in demand for products from Shanghai's small, medium and micro enterprises by ASEAN buyers, but also reflects the improvement of the competitiveness of these enterprises in the international market. At the same time, the 3% increase in the "order advance payment ratio" is a strong proof of the credibility and strength of Shanghai's small, medium and micro foreign trade enterprises, and enhances the confidence in cooperation with ASEAN buyers.

According to customs statistics, in the first half of the year, the total import and export value of China's trade in goods was 21.17 trillion yuan, an increase of 6.1% year-on-year (the same below). Among them, exports were 12.13 trillion yuan, an increase of 6.9%; imports were 9.04 trillion yuan, an increase of 5.2 percent; The trade surplus was 3.09 trillion yuan, an increase of 12%. In dollar terms, in the first half of the year, the total value of China's imports and exports was 2.98 trillion US dollars, an increase of 2.9%. Among them, exports were 1.71 trillion US dollars, an increase of 3.6%; imports were 1.27 trillion US dollars, an increase of 2%; The trade surplus was 435 billion US dollars, an increase of 8.6 percent. The main characteristics of China's import and export in the first half of the year: 1. The scale of trade hit a new high, and the quarterly trend continued to improve In the first half of the year, China's import and export regulations were 21 trillion yuan; The growth rate of imports and exports accelerated quarter by quarter, with an increase of 7.4% in the second quarter, 2.5 and 5.7 percentage points higher than that in the first quarter and the fourth quarter of last year, respectively, and the positive momentum of foreign trade was further consolidated. 　　In the first half of the year, China's general trade import and export was 13.76 trillion yuan, an increase of 5.2 percent, accounting for 65 percent of China's total foreign trade value. Among them, exports were 8.01 trillion yuan, an increase of 8.5%; imports were 5.75 trillion yuan, an increase of 1%. In the same period, the import and export of processing trade was 3.66 trillion yuan, an increase of 2.1 percent, accounting for 17.3 percent. Among them, exports were 2.32 trillion yuan, down 1.3%; imports were 1.34 trillion yuan, an increase of 8.5 percent. In addition, China's import and export in the form of bonded logistics was 2.96 trillion yuan, an increase of 16.6%. Among them, exports were 1.12 trillion yuan, an increase of 13.2%; imports were 1.84 trillion yuan, an increase of 18.9 percent. 　　3. Growth in imports and exports to ASEAN, the United States, and South Korea In the first half of the year, ASEAN was China's largest trading partner, and the total trade value between China and ASEAN was 3.36 trillion yuan, an increase of 10.5 percent, accounting for 15.9 percent of China's total foreign trade value. its exports to ASEAN were 203 million, up 14.2%; imports from ASEAN were 1.33 trillion yuan, an increase of 5.2%; The trade surplus with ASEAN was 699.49 billion yuan, an increase of 36.5 percent. The EU is China's second largest trading partner, and the total value of China's trade with the EU was 2.72 trillion yuan, down 0.7 percent, accounting for 12.8 percent. Among them, exports to the EU were 1.78 trillion yuan, an increase of 0.5%; imports from the EU were 938.87 billion yuan, down 2.9%; The trade surplus with the EU was 837.67 billion yuan, an increase of 4.6 percent. The United States is China's third largest trading partner, and the total value of China's trade with the United States was 2.29 trillion yuan, an increase of 2.9 percent, accounting for 10.8 percent. Among them, exports to the United States were 1.71 trillion yuan, an increase of 4.7%; imports from the United States were 577.97 billion yuan, down 2%; The trade surplus with the United States was 1.14 trillion yuan, an increase of 8.4 percent. South Korea is China's fourth largest trading partner, and the total value of trade between China and South Korea was 1.13 trillion yuan, an increase of 7.6 percent, accounting for 5.3 percent. Among them, exports to South Korea were 516.95 billion yuan, down 0.6%; imports from South Korea were 609.02 billion yuan, an increase of 15.7%; The trade deficit with South Korea was 92.07 billion yuan, an increase of 14.3 times. During the same period, China's total imports and exports to the "Belt and Road" countries were 10.03 trillion yuan, an increase of 7.2%. Among them, exports were 5.62 trillion yuan, an increase of 8.4%; mouth 4.41 trillion yuan, up 5.8%. 　In the first half of the year, the import and export of private enterprises was 11.64 trillion yuan, an increase of 11.2 percent, accounting for 55 percent of China's total foreign trade value, an increase of 2.5 percentage points over the same period last year. Among them, exports were 7.87 trillion yuan, an increase of 10.7%, accounting for 64.9% of China's total export value; imports were 3.77 trillion yuan, an increase of 12.3 percent, accounting for 41.8 percent of China's total import value. In the same period, the import and export of foreign-invested enterprises reached 6.17 trillion yuan, an increase of 0.2 percent, accounting for 29.1 percent of China's total foreign trade value. Among them, exports were 3.31 trillion yuan, down 0.1%; imports were 2.86 trillion yuan, an increase of 0.5 percent. The import and export of state-owned enterprises was 3.31 trillion yuan, an increase of 1.2 percent, accounting for 15.6 percent of China's total foreign trade value. Among them, exports were 931.28 billion yuan, an increase of 1.9%; imports were 2.37 trillion yuan, an increase of 1%. 　　In the first half of the year, China's exports of mechanical and electrical products were 7.14 trillion yuan, an increase of 8.2 percent, accounting for 58.9 percent of China's total export value. Among them, automatic data processing equipment and its parts and components were 6837.7 yuan, 10.3% long; integrated circuits were 542.74 billion yuan, an increase of 25.6%, 3917.6 yuan, an increase of 22.2%, and 3882.8 yuan, a decrease of 1.7%. In the same period, the export of labor products was 2.07 trillion yuan, an increase of 6.6%, accounting for 17.1%. Among them, clothing and clothing accessories were 524.43 billion yuan, an increase of 3%; textiles 492.67 billion yuan, an increase of 6.5%; plastic products were 377.64 billion yuan, an increase of 11.7%. The export of agricultural products was 344.43 billion yuan, an increase of 5.2 percent. In addition, 53.4 million tons of steel were exported, an increase of 24%; refined oil was 30.094 million tons, a decrease of 3.8%; fertilizer was 12.606 million tons, a decrease of 0.8%. 　　6. Imports of major commodities such as iron ore, coal, and natural gas increased In the first half of the year, China imported 611 million tons of iron ore, an increase of 6.2%, and the average import price (the same below) was 841.8 yuan per ton, an increase of 7%; crude oil was 275 million tons, down 2.3%, 4316.3 yuan per ton, up 7.9%; 250 million tons of coal, an increase of 12.5%, 716.3 yuan per ton, a decrease of 17%; natural gas was 64.652 million tons, an increase of 14.3%, and 3488.5 yuan per ton, down 10.5%; soybean 48.481 million tons, down 2.2%, 3691.4 yuan per ton, down 15.8%; refined oil was 25.076 million tons, an increase of 9.9%, 4330.6 yuan per ton, an increase of 7.9%, and 14.202 million yuan of primary materials, an increase of 0.1%, 1.08 yuan per ton, down 1%; unwrought copper and copper products were 2.763 million, an increase of 6.8%, and 65,900 yuan per ton, an increase of 8.6%. In the same period, the import of mechanical and electrical products was 3.25 trillion yuan, an increase of 10.1%. Among them, there were 258.89 billion integrated circuits, an increase of 14.1%, and a value of 1.27 trillion yuan, an increase of 14.4%; 332,000 automobiles, down 4.1%, with a value of 132.35 billion yuan, down 11.8%.

Data from the World Shipping Council (WSC) shows that the number of containers lost by shipping companies at sea fell sharply to 221 last year, the lowest since the survey began in 2008. In 2023, 221 of the 250 million containers shipped by shipping companies were lost at sea, down from 661 in 2022, and of the 221 containers lost, about 33% were successfully recovered. Although this is the lowest number of containers lost since the survey began in 2008, WSC stresses that "too many containers are lost at sea every year." John Butler, CEO of the World Container Association, said: "The reduction in container losses at sea in 2023 is a positive development, but it does not diminish the urgency of our work. "Every container lost at sea represents a potential hazard, and we must be steadfast in our commitment to preventing such incidents from happening." In addition, the International Maritime Organization's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 108) recently adopted a new mandatory reporting requirement for lost containers, which will come into force on 1 January 2026 and aims to improve navigation safety, facilitate rapid response actions and reduce potential environmental hazards.

On June 24, the first "Hainan-Wuhan-Almaty" Central Asia sea-rail intermodal train departed from the railway station of Wuhan COSCO Shipping Port Co., Ltd. (CSP Wuhan Terminal). It is reported that Kazakhstan is the world's largest landlocked country, and the successful delivery of this train has directly opened up a new railway logistics channel directly to the two places, which is of great significance to promote the products of the central region and the southern region of China to Central Asia. In order to effectively solve the bottleneck of trade logistics between China's eastern and western regions and Central Asian countries, and meet the needs of customers to connect the central region with Hainan Free Trade Port, Wuhan Container Lines takes the hot metal hub of COSCO SHIPPING Port Wuhan as the fulcrum, gives full play to the comprehensive transportation location advantages of Wuhan, Hubei Province as the largest inland river port of departure and arrival, continues to build and improve the digital supply chain service ecology of "container shipping + port + related logistics", and opens a new cross-border channel of "Haijiang Railway" between China's eastern and western regions and Central Asian countries. The goods were loaded in Hainan and transported to CSP Wuhan Wharf through Nantong water, and then loaded and shipped at CSP Wuhan Wharf Railway Station, and are expected to arrive at Xinjiang Wuxi Station in 10 days, and then exit from Xinjiang Khorgos Port, and finally arrive at Almaty Railway Station in Kazakhstan. Compared with traditional containers, the latest Internet of Things (IOT) equipment is installed in this batch of containers, which realizes the visualization of the whole process of container logistics, and customers can grasp the location and status of containers in real time, and timely understand the operation trajectory and business dynamic process of containers.

Introduction: As an important part of international trade, maritime transport is responsible for the transportation of most of the world's goods. In the context of a globalized economy, the role of maritime logistics is becoming more and more prominent. Despite the many complex challenges, the potential and prospects for its sustainable development are broad. The purpose of this article is to explore the current state of the international maritime logistics market and look forward to future development trends, so as to provide practitioners with market insights and reference for strategic planning. Current Market Status: In the past two years, the international maritime market has experienced unprecedented turbulence. From the process of extreme normality, there is a constant search for balance. Even in 2023, the global shipping industry is still dealing with a series of challenges, such as port congestion, labor shortages, and adjustment of shipping capacity. However, with the gradual recovery of the economy, the recovery of demand is gradually eating into the instability of the market, which also brings signs of revival. Future Prospects: Conclusion: In the face of the current market situation and future trends, maritime logistics companies need to maintain flexibility and innovation capabilities, and actively adapt to the new environment of industry development. Greening, digitalization, diversification of supply chains, and changes in global trade relations are the key factors driving the development of maritime logistics. With the integration and development of the global economy, it is expected that the next few years will be a critical period for the transformation and upgrading of maritime logistics. For companies in the industry, grasping these trends and making strategic adjustments accordingly will be the key to winning in the market of the future. ()