PST CLC Mitsui-Soko carries out, among other things, transport in the automotive segment. One of their major customers is a Japanese automotive component supplier that distributes its products to both Japanese and European automakers. PST CLC Mitsui-Soko handles most of the sea freight, as well as air freight for the transportation of the company’s products. Air freight is used for urgent shipments.
“Deliveries in the automotive segment need to be planned very carefully, because production in car plants cannot be compromised. Care must therefore be taken to set good transit times. Covid has extremely disrupted supply chains in recent years, but the timeliness of deliveries had to be ensured even in the pre-Covid era. Proper planning is the basis for efficient logistics. This not only applies to the automotive segment,” says Jan Bláha, Director of Transportation at PST CLC Mitsui-Soko. He added that the volume of stock that is planned for a particular month is spread over regular weekly departures.
Shipping prices have fallen. “You could say they have almost hit rock bottom. I think the shipowners are already running below their costs. This is an extreme compared to the Covid era, when rates rose rapidly,” says Jan Bláha.
Electromobility will bring new opportunities
In terms of trends, it can be expected that transit times will stabilise. “Currently, ships usually arrive late. This needs to be taken into account in the planning. The delay is up to about a week. I expect a gradual stabilisation,” says Jan Bláha and continues: “The automotive industry in Europe is not in good shape at the moment. We’ll see how it develops in the future. Electromobility will have a big say in terms of future developments. We see new opportunities in electromobility in terms of business opportunities. New factories are being planned and manufacturers are planning to invest more in Europe. As for other areas of the automotive industry, the outlook is uncertain.”
