Exclusive Interview: Everstream Analytics on Current State of Global Ports

As reported in in SCMR this week, Everstream’s real-time and predictive risk analytics is designed to deliver actionable insights to increase the resilience and agility of the supply chains of many of the world’s leading brands.

Shehrina Kamal, Product Director, Intelligence Solutions for Everstream Analytics here provides insight on the current state of global ports in this exclusive interview.

SCMR: What ports are most vulnerable to labor disruptions?

Shehrina Kamal: Countries with strong labor unions and collective bargaining arrangements tend to be most susceptible to labor disruptions. This can vary from region to region, though in our experience we’ve seen ports in Europe and the Americas experience this the most.

SCMR: Which ports are most exposed to natural disasters…hurricanes, floods?

Shehrina Kamal: Here are key ocean cargo gateways most at risk:

1. Kaohsiung, Taiwan
2. Hong Kong, China
3. Shenzhen, China
4. Guangzhou, China
5. Xiamen, China
6. Busan, South Korea
7. Ningbo-Zhoushan, China
8. Shanghai, China
9. Colombo, Sri Lanka
10. Laem Chabang, Thailand

This is based on our own research and the ports exposure to natural disasters (2020 Tropical Storm Season Outlook).”
SCMR: Are ports with cruise operations more likely to be impacted by pandemics?

Shehrina Kamal: No more, no less, in my view. Impact from pandemic can be just as severe with rotating crews on cargo ships. It’s more important to evaluate social distancing measures being observed in the port to assess whether outbreaks are likely.”

SCMR: How should supply chain managers balance their port portfolios?

Shehrina Kamal: Ports can be affected by various types of risks: congestion, labor strikes, closures, etc. Logistics managers should have good visibility into the ports they operate from, and ensure that when issues persist at any specific port, there are alternatives worked out within the network. An end-to-end visibility in the risks can help logistics manages assess if an alternative port could make sense in the event that the primary port is congested or disrupted.”

SC
MR