SHIPPING FROM BRITAIN

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26395, 13 April 1951, Page 6

SHIPPING FROM BRITAIN

‘ACUTE SHORTAGE FOR THREE MONTHS’ LONDON, April 11. Exporters in Manchester ‘and the north-west of England are planning to push goods for New Zealand and Australia out of the country as soon as possible. They felt some anxiety to-day after a warning that shipping space to the two countries may be cut by half this summer. One of the exporters said they had received a warning from the shipping and forwarding agents, Thomas Meadows and Company, of London. The notice stated: “Shippers are aware that for some time past the tonnage placed on the outward berth for Australia and New Zealand has been insufficient to meet the full demands of the trade. “The lines concerned have now reviewed the prospects for the coming months, and they feel that they must warn shippers that owing to the waterside workers’ ban on overtime in Australia and the strikes in all New Zealand ports, the shortage of ships will be even more acute during May, June, and July. In fact, it is likely that there will be only about half the number of sailings available in each of these months as compared with January and February.

“The lines hope that this warning will, to some extent, help shippers to adjust their future plans and so mitigate the troubles that will inevitably be caused by the situation." A Manchester shipper commented: “The only way we can adjust our plans is by exporting all we can as soon as we can.”