Highlighting the key role played by transport as the backbone of international trade, being responsible for more than 80% of the global movement of goods, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) today sounded the alarm over increasing disruptions of world trade caused by the tensions geopolitics affecting maritime transport in the Black Sea, and which are also determined by the recent attacks on ships in the Sea Red, which have a major impact on traffic in the Suez Canal with a number of weekly transits of ships - UNCTAD estimated - decreased by -67% compared to a year ago. To this - he has highlighted by UNCTAD - the impact of the climate change affecting key trade routes of the world, in particular the Panama Canal, which is at the taken with a decrease in water levels and a consequent significant drop of -36% in total transits in the last month compared to a year ago.

The UN body pointed out that this determines, among other things, the various consequences, a new increase in transport fares with an average spot freight rate for container shipping that In the last week of December, in just seven days, it marked a increase of more than 500 dollars, the increase in the price of more than accentuated never recorded. UNCTAD also pointed out that In the current week, the average spot freight rate for the shipment of a container from Shanghai increased by +122% compared to at the beginning of December and freight rates for shipments from Shanghai to Europe increased by +256%, i.e. more than Tripled. Freight rates for sea transport to the coast are also of the United States have increased above the average, of +162%, although they do not cross Suez.

With regard to the increase in sea freight rates, UNCTAD found that, while the current freight rates for the container transport are about half of the peaks recorded during the Covid crisis, transfer tariffs of transport to consumers takes time and It predicts that the full impact will manifest itself within a year.

UNCTAD explained that energy prices are also surge as gas transports are disrupted, with a consequent direct impact on supplies especially in Europe. The crisis is also having an impact on the global food prices, with longer distances and tariffs transport costs, which potentially result in an increase in costs. In particular, disruptions in the grain shipments from Europe, Russia and Ukraine put the global food security, affecting consumers and lowering prices paid to producers. Developing countries are vulnerable to these disruptions.

UNCTAD noted that the cumulative effect of these disruptions to the exchange of goods by sea results in in longer travel distances of goods, rising costs and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions resulting from maritime shipments that have to travel longer distances and at higher speeds. UNCTAD underlined the implications of resulting from these crises, with the prolonged disruptions, in particular to container transport, that pose a direct threat to the global procurement, potentially leading to delays in deliveries and increased costs.

The United Nations has stressed the urgent need for the need for rapid adaptations by the and strong international cooperation to address the the rapid reshaping of global trade dynamics. The current challenges, UNCTAD noted, highlight the vulnerability of the compared to geopolitical tensions and challenges climate-related solutions, requiring collective efforts for climate-related solutions. especially in support of the most vulnerable countries.