The number of ships awaiting unloading in the sister ports of Los Angles and Long Beach reached a record 65 Friday. The total number of ships offloading, anchored or in the drift zones reached 147. "To say this is a backup of epic proportions would be understating the shipping crisis we are facing receiving goods from Asia," said Bill Klaus, president of Cincinnati, Ohio, based AEC Magnetics, magnetic specialists for automated manufacturing. "China mines, produces and expoerts permanent magnets to the world," he said. "The tremendous pressure this is putting on the price and availabiity of permanent magnets cannot be overstated."
Klaus, who has been importing permanent magnets from China for decades, has been in close contact with his logistics partners, with whom he has done business for decades, and has never seen China shipping take such a hit. "We are telling customers to expect China shipments to take twice as long as quoted one year ago," he said. "We also strongly encourage anyone even thinking about purchasing permanent magnets to advance their orders, get on the books now, and be in the queue because no one is venturing a guess how long it will take to ease the jam." AEC is also warning customers to keep an eye out for inferior industrial magnets, as it is tempting for unscrupulous suppliers to substitute inferior products. "We have been doing business with China for decades and have excellent sources," said Klaus. "Plus we have been in business for 60 years. We source only superior products, and can spot unsatisfactory magnets immediately."
Please call Bill to discuss ways to order, and receive, your shipments with the least possible delay and the best possible value. If it's magnetic...it's AEC!