Reporters have noted that in order to relieve the logistics pressure of foreign trade enterprises, in recent years, multiple departments have been frequently deployed to increase the international logistics guarantee for foreign trade enterprises by improving the shipping capacity, improving the transport efficiency of China-Europe freight train, increasing the supply of containers, improving the level of trade facilitation and other links.

The "Analysis Report on China's Export Container Transport Market in January 2021" released by Shanghai Shipping Exchange shows that China's export container transport market continued to show strong performance in January, with freight rates rising in the ocean-going market and the composite index rising. In January, the average value of China's export container comprehensive freight rate index released by Shanghai Shipping Exchange was 1906.13 points, rising by 27.8% compared with last month. Spot booking prices for ocean routes remained high after successive increases, with the Shanghai Export Container Composite Index, which reflects the spot market, averaging 2,871.50 points in January, up 16.9 percent on average from the previous month.

Pang Chaoran, an associate researcher of the Research Institute of the Ministry of Commerce, told reporters that since May 2020, shipping prices have continued to rise, and the costs of some small and medium-sized foreign trade enterprises have increased significantly. The main reason is that the development situation of China's foreign trade has exceeded expectations, and the market price has risen due to the disconnection between supply and demand of shipping. There are some structural problems in the international transportation of China's foreign trade products. The epidemic has led to a decline in customs clearance efficiency.

In order to relieve the pressure of foreign trade enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, a number of departments have been deployed recently to increase the coordination of transport capacity. Ministry of Commerce at a recent conference, for many industries, business association, the recent enterprise reflects the insufficiency of shipping, freight rate rise sharply, and so on and so forth, the Ministry of Commerce jointly with the Ministry of Transport and National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the General Administration of Customs and other departments, completes the promotion shipping capacity, improve the efficiency of central trains transport, increasing the container supply, improve the level of trade facilitation, such as work, efforts to promote smooth international logistics operation.

Subsequently, the Water Transport Bureau of the Ministry of Transport held a video symposium with the Department of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Commerce, and expressed the hope that all liner companies and port enterprises could further strengthen communication and cooperation with import and export enterprises, form mutually beneficial and long-term stable cooperative relations, and continue to increase China's shipping capacity and supply of empty containers. To further strengthen the cooperation with foreign ports, agencies and other parties to improve the efficiency of container collection and distribution; Actively sign long-term transport contracts and lock the freight rate of capacity; Strictly operate in accordance with laws and regulations, charge fees in accordance with laws and regulations, and fulfill the duty of filing freight rates.

Given that there is no dedicated department to supervise international shipping at present, relevant functions are scattered among commerce, customs and transportation departments, said Mr Pang. To appropriate departments related functions as a whole, in view of the current and future a period of international ocean shipping prices fluctuation, capacity for all-round tracking, the key route implement key monitoring, timely grasp the market supply and demand docking, understand the enterprise policy, guiding charges by shipping companies improve management efficiency, and precision support policy in time, prevent the international ocean shipping prices hedge effect, stable foreign trade policy in China to help the foreign trade enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises survive, to promote stable and healthy development of foreign trade in our country.