May 7,2021. It is difficult to book RORO vessels that export used cars to major export destinations in Europe, Asia and Africa. Vehicles waiting for shipping are staying in the yards of customs brokers at major ports such as Yokohama, Nagoya and Osaka. Many customs brokers are currently restricting the entry of vehicles to their yards. Exporters are adjusting the timing of vehicle delivery by requesting temporary storage in the yard of the land transportation company, because vehicles cannot be brought into the yard of the port unless the shipping is decided, but it is only an emergency measure. It would be difficult to continue this approach without the prospect of securing shipping space.
The reason why the space of RORO ships is tight is that the export of new cars by automobile manufacturers is strong and the space allocated to the export of used cars is decreasing. Given the strong car sales in North America and China, this trend may continue for some time. There is also a movement to give up on RORO ships for Africa and shift to container ships and depending on the destination, it may be necessary to consider exporting by container ships.