Are you currently in the market for flame retardant imports from China? Have you noticed the lead times have seriously shot up over the last couple of years?
If you have noticed the lead times for flame retardants going up over the last year or so, then you probably want to know why it’s happening and what you can do to help.
The global demand for cargo transportation has gone up 8% since 2020 and continues to increase as we speak today. This global demand is putting a lot of pressure on workers at both ends. Causing delays and issues when it comes to importing flame retardants.
Nobody wants to wait months to get the flame retardant they’ve been waiting on for their product or project. So, we want to provide you with the information you need to know to understand the current situation.
We’re here to tell you all about the various reasons why flame retardant is taking longer to get to you from China and what you can do to help get flame retardants delivered to your business sooner.
A year or so ago, it only used to take 6-8 weeks to receive flame retardant from China, but now it can take anywhere from twelve weeks up to fourteen weeks. This includes brominated flame retardant, non halogenated flame retardant, and synergist flame retardant. All of it is taking incredibly long to get to the US.
This is such a drastic change from the lead times we were used to, which is causing many issues in businesses. It has seriously slowed down projects and made it difficult for many companies to continue their work.
But why does it take so long to import flame retardant from China? How can we work together to help speed up the process and get companies the flame retardant they need to complete their projects?
The main culprit behind the considerable delays in flame retardant delivery rests in the hands of the containers aboard the steamship lines.
In order to transport flame retardant of any kind from China to the US, you have to book a container on a steamship line. This used to take about a week to do, but now it takes businesses anywhere from two to four weeks to get a boat booked.
Why does it take so long to book a boat?
Right now, there aren’t as many boats as there used to be, so booking a boat to transport flame retardant from China to the US takes a lot of time to organize.
As soon as you book your boat, you’re essentially put on a waiting list until the next ship is available. This could take up to four weeks.
Even when you manage to get a boat sorted to carry the cargo, it takes longer to offload cargo once your container gets to the west coast of the US. This is because, on the US side, there is also a lack of workers available to get the cargo moving off the boats and through customs quickly.
So, fewer boats in China to pick up the cargo and fewer workers to offload the boats in the US lead to long, painful lead times for flame retardant.
It’s also important to remember that depending on what port in China you’re shipping out of, the boat will probably have to stop in multiple ports along the way to pick up other cargo. This can lengthen the journey to the US even more.
The sailing time to the US from China is only two weeks, but once it reaches the west coast, it will just sit offshore for about four weeks before finally being scheduled to dock.
As soon as it’s in port, some action will start to happen, and the containers will begin to be offloaded but not at the level of speed it once was.
How can you help improve this and make the process easier to receive your flame retardant sooner?
As a business, you can encourage more labor to be present at the ports in the US to help operate the crates and offload them quickly.
The lack of labor is slowing down the lead time at the US ports, especially in Los Angeles. By getting people in more positions and having more hands to operate crates and offload them to the trucks, the lead time will start to reduce.
Having more labor at the docks is necessary but having truck drivers and warehouse technicians readily available to receive the products will also help reduce the lead time and get flame retardant products to businesses quicker.
If you’re looking for flame retardants and smoke suppressants, Ocean Chemical is here to help.
We have extensive knowledge in flame retardants and can provide your business with everything it needs to accomplish its goals.
With over 25 years of flame retardant industry experience, we’re the right choice for all your brominated, non halogenated, and synergist flame retardant solutions.
We are always here to see to the needs of every one of our clients. Get what you need today by getting in touch with the talented team at Ocean Chemical.