Delays in international shipping can be frustrating and disruptive. We understand how critical it is to ensure timely delivery. However, the complexities of global logistics mean that delays sometimes occur despite careful planning. In this article, we’ll explore the common reasons for shipment delays, how to mitigate these risks, and practical solutions to minimize their impact.
国际搬迁的延误可能会令人沮丧。我们明白及时交货十分重要。但是，全球物流的复杂性意味着尽管经过仔细规划，有时延误仍然发生。在本文中，我们将探讨货物延误的常见原因、如何减轻这些风险以及将其影响降至最低的解决方案。
Common Causes of Shipment Delays
Customs Issues
Missing or incorrect documentation is one of the most common causes of delays in customs clearance.
Each country has its own specific regulations and requirements, which can vary significantly. For instance, some countries require the owner of the goods to be physically present for customs clearance. Coordinating the owner’s availability with the shipping schedule can lead to delays, as this timing often requires additional planning.
Another frequent challenge is when movers in the destination country require all customs paperwork to be fully prepared before the shipment departs. This can result in goods being held at the origin, even though the entire transit itself might be as long as the time required to prepare the documents.
缺少或不正确的文件是导致清关延误的最常见原因之一。
每个国家都有自己的具体法规和要求，可能有很大差异。例如，一些国家要求货物货主亲自在场清关。协调所有人的时间安排和运输时间表可能会导致延误，因为这个时间安排通常需要额外的计划。
另一个常见的挑战是，目的地的搬家公司会要求在货物出发前准备好所有海关文件。这可能会导致货物在出发地等待一段时间，即使整个运输过程可能与准备文件所需的时间一样长。
Weather
Severe weather conditions such as storms, hurricanes, or heavy incidents and disaster can disrupt transportation schedules and cause significant delays.
Hurricane is one of them in AMR practice in summer season that causes delay, cancellation, reroute of shipping and shipment waiting.
暴风雨、飓风或重大事故和灾难等恶劣天气条件可能会扰乱运输计划并造成严重延误。
飓风是夏季 AMR 操作中经常遇到的中干扰，因为它会导致延误、取消、改道和货物等待。
Unexpected Incidents
In the past 2 years, Red Sea Crisis is one of biggest incidents that cause delays of shipping.
Beginning in late 2023, attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, have severely disrupted shipping routes. Major shipping companies, suspended operations through the Red Sea, leading to re-routing around the Cape of Good Hope.
This detour increased transit times Asia-Europe from averagely 30 days to 60 days.
Some busy ports often experience congestion, especially during peak seasons, leading to delays in unloading and loading shipments.
Port Congestion: When ports become overcrowded, ships may have to wait for days or even weeks to dock. In 2021, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach faced unprecedented congestion due to a surge in imports, causing severe delays in the delivery of goods.
Labour Strikes: Strikes by port workers, truck drivers, or customs officials can paralyse shipping operations, and t this happens from to time. It might happen with a notice, but without clear idea when it would end.
在过去的两年中，红海危机是导致航运延误的最大事件之一。
从 2023 年底开始，红海船只遭到袭击，严重扰乱了航线。各大航运公司暂停了红海航线的运营，导致绕行好望角。
这一绕行路线将亚欧航线的运输时间从平均 30 天延长到 60 天。
一些繁忙的港口经常出现拥堵，尤其是在旺季，导致装卸货物延误。
港口拥堵：当港口过度拥挤时，船只可能需要等待数天甚至数周才能停靠。2021 年，由于进口激增，洛杉矶港和长滩港面临前所未有的拥堵，导致货物交付严重延误就是典型的例子。
劳工罢工：港口工人、卡车司机或海关官员的罢工可能会使航运业务陷入瘫痪，这种情况时有发生。这种情况可能会发生，并发出通知，但不清楚何时结束。
Regulatory Changes
Sudden changes in import/export regulations or policies can complicate the logistics and lead to unexpected delays.
For example, the introduction of new U.S. tariffs in recent years caused widespread disruption. When tariffs were imposed on goods, importers rushed to bring in shipments before the higher duties took effect, leading to port congestion and a surge in demand for shipping containers. This sudden spike overwhelmed carriers, customs officials, and warehouse facilities, resulting in delays and higher costs for businesses.
Moreover, new tariff classifications can confuse customs documentation, increasing the risk of errors. Goods may be held at customs for re-evaluation, further delaying the supply chain and adding to the logistical chaos.
进出口法规或政策的突然变化会使物流变得复杂，并导致意外延误。
例如，近年来美国新关税的出台造成了很大干扰。当对商品征收关税时，进口商急于在关税生效前运入货物，导致港口拥堵和集装箱需求激增。这种突然的激增使承运人、海关工作和仓库设施不堪重负，导致企业延误和成本增加。
此外，新的关税分类可能会混淆海关文件，增加出错的风险。货物可能会被扣留在海关重新评估，进一步拖延供应链并加剧物流混乱。
Communication Breakdown
In our opinion, this is one of the most common causes of delays. Miscommunication or breakdowns in communication between various stakeholders—such as the relocation company, movers, and their subcontractors, immigration, freight forwarders, carriers, and customs—can lead to avoidable delays.
An additional factor is the time differences between stakeholders in different parts of the world. When key decisions or approvals are needed, the delay caused by waiting for responses across varying time zones can further disrupt the process and prolong transit times.
我们认为，这是造成延误的最常见原因之一。搬迁公司、搬家公司及其分包商、签证代理、货运代理、承运人和海关等相关部门之间的沟通不畅或沟通中断可能会导致可避免的延误。
另一个因素是世界各地供应链相关者之间的时差。当需要做出关键决策或批准时，因等待不同时区的回复而导致的延迟会进一步扰乱流程并延长运输时间。
Mitigate the Risk of Delays
Prepare Accurate Documentation
Ensure all necessary documents, including customs declarations, forms and permits, are complete and accurate before shipping.
In some countries, customs clearance is relatively straightforward, making it unnecessary for movers to hold shipments at the origin until all paperwork is fully prepared. This approach is feasible because the transit time for international shipments often exceeds one or two months, providing ample time for the necessary customs documents to be finalized while the goods are in transit.
This allows the shipping process to remain on schedule while ensuring all customs requirements are met before the goods arrive.
确保所有必要文件（包括海关申报单、表格和许可证）在装运前完整准确。
在一些国家，海关清关相对简单透明，因此无需将货物仓储在在始发国，直到所有文件都准备好为止。这种操作几乎没有风险，因为国际货物的运输时间通常超过一两个月，为货物在运输过程中完成必要的海关文件提供了充足的时间。
这使得运输过程能够按计划进行，同时确保在货物到达之前满足所有海关要求。
Choose Reliable Partners
An experienced and reliable moving company can navigate the complexities of international logistics efficiently.
Because they have expertise in documentation: The right partner will ensure that all required customs and shipping documents are correctly prepared and submitted on time, reducing the risk of delays due to missing or incorrect paperwork.
Strong Network of Stakeholders: Reliable movers have established connections with freight forwarders, shipping lines, and customs agents, enabling smoother coordination across the supply chain and minimizing potential bottlenecks.
Proactive Problem-Solving: Experienced partners can anticipate potential issues, such as port congestion, regulatory changes, or delays in customs, and take proactive measures to resolve them.
Time Zone Coordination: With global operations, the right partner ensures seamless communication between stakeholders in different time zones, avoiding delays caused by waiting for approvals or responses.
Contingency Planning: A trustworthy moving partner will have contingency plans in place to address unexpected events like bad weather or strikes, helping to keep the shipment on schedule.
经验丰富、值得信赖的搬家公司可以有效应对复杂的国际物流。
因为他们在文件方面拥有专业知识：合适的合作伙伴将确保所有必需的海关和运输文件都正确准备并按时提交，从而降低因文件缺失或不正确而导致延误的风险。
强大的服务网络：可靠的搬家公司与货运代理、航运公司和海关代理建立了联系，使整个供应链的协调更加顺畅，并最大限度地减少潜在的瓶颈。
主动解决问题：经验丰富的合作伙伴可以预测潜在问题，例如港口拥堵、监管变化或海关延误，并采取主动措施解决这些问题。
时区协调：凭借全球运营，合适的合作伙伴可以确保不同时区的供应链伙伴之间的无缝沟通，避免因等待批准或回复而导致的延误。
应急计划：值得信赖的搬家合作伙伴将制定应急计划来应对恶劣天气或罢工等意外事件，帮助确保货物按时运输。
Plan Ahead
Start the relocation process early to account for potential delays and avoid last-minute rushes.
Some customs papers can get started even before moving commence. For example, for shipping going to UK, one of the critical documents is TOR, which does not need to wait until moving. The applicant can basically apply far in advance, and this TOR is valid for one year.
尽早开始搬迁流程，以应对可能的延误并避免最后一刻的匆忙。
有些海关文件甚至可以在搬家开始前就开始办理。例如，对于运往英国的货物，关键文件之一是 TOR，它不需要等到搬家后才办理。申请人基本上可以提前很久申请，而且这份 TOR 有效期为一年。
Communicate Clearly and Closely
Maintain open and consistent communication with all parties involved, including your moving company, to stay informed and aligned. This is not doing well sometimes, because there are so many and different layers of contractors and subcontractors. It involves transferee's own effort to follow up closely with the right party /person, for example your single point of contact of main contractor/relocation company, sometimes your company mobility manager to move forward the moving project efficiently.
与所有相关方（包括您的搬家公司）保持开放和一致的沟通，以随时了解情况并保持信息一致。有时这样做效果也不佳，因为承包商和分包商的层次非常多且不同。这需要员工自己努力与正确的一方/人密切跟进，例如您的主要承包商和你的专职联络人，有时是您公司国际搬迁经理，以有效地正确地推进搬迁项目。
Build in Buffer Time
Incorporate buffer time into your schedule to accommodate any unforeseen delays and set realistic expectations.
在您的日程安排中加入缓冲时间，以适应任何不可预见的延迟并设定切合实际的期望。
Use Advanced Tracking Tools
Leverage technology to monitor your shipment’s progress in real-time and address any deviations from the schedule promptly. Apart from conventional tracking of your shipment where only provides you with simple arrival and departure date, you could also use some advanced third party service from where you could trace live location of your vessel. A well-known website, Marine Tariff (https://www.marinetraffic.com/) is a good tool that does not require a subscription to track your cargo, allowing for more visual real-time cargo tracking.
Do not wait until it is too late to turn around.
利用技术实时监控货物的进度，并及时解决任何与计划不符的情况。除了传统的货物跟踪（仅提供简单的到达和离开日期）外，您还可以使用一些先进的第三方服务，从中您可以跟踪船只的实时位置。一个著名的网站 Marine Tariff 是一个很好的工具，它不需要订阅即可跟踪您的货物，从而获得更多的可视化的货物追踪。
不要等到为时已晚才回头。
