Register Free Trial [https://www.linerlytica.com/register/?utm_source=W202313] Freight rates remain soft, with the SCFI resuming its weekly decline after the previous week’s gain with the Asia-Europe trade the only main market where carriers can push rates increases. In contrast, charter rates have rebounded with demand from carriers staying high while the number of idled ships are quickly diminishing. Carriers are gearing up for the summer deployment that begins in earnest from April and May,
Register Free Trial [https://www.linerlytica.com/register/?utm_source=W202312] The SCFI recorded its first weekly gain since December 2022, but the rebound lacks any real strength with the rate gains limited to the China to Europe and Med routes where capacity utilisation has been very high since the beginning of this year. Utilisation on most of the other key routes remain weaker than 2022 levels, with the weakness especially apparent on the FE-US West Coast trade. The latest February port vol
Register Free Trial [https://www.linerlytica.com/register/?utm_source=W202311] The torrent of new containership deliveries has started with MSC setting new ship size records twice last week, with more ULCS units to come in the weeks ahead. MSC has widened its gap against Maersk to 587,000 teu with the divergence even greater if idled capacity is taken into account. Maersk has 298,000 teu currently idled compared to just 68,000 teu from MSC, with the burden of idling excess capacity unevenly sha
Register Free Trial [https://www.linerlytica.com/register/?utm_source=W202310] Further freight rate corrections can be expected with US port congestion now effectively cleared while the residual congestion in China and Europe are no longer causing any severe bottlenecks for the global container supply chain. Chinese ports are mostly fluid with the recent buildup of ships in Shanghai/Ningbo due more to scheduling than berthing delays, while European congestion is mostly limited to French ports d
Register Free Trial [https://www.linerlytica.com/register/?utm_source=W202309] Containership charter market activity is picking up with carriers pushing ahead with new capacity plans despite the soft freight market. Maersk continues to lose ground with the highest number of ships idled at the moment while MSC is still taking on fresh charters and second hand acquisitions despite also having a number of idled ships. Demand is mismatched across different sizes, with the surplus ships over 5,000 t
Register Free Trial [https://www.linerlytica.com/register/?utm_source=W202308] The sharp drop in transpacific capacity utilisation has weighed down market sentiment as carriers continue to drop rates in response even on routes where utilisation remain relatively healthy. Capacity management measures have been completely ineffective in halting the rate decline, as the expectation of a demand rebound is keeping capacity in the market for longer than required. The SCFI slipped by 2.1% last week, w
Register Free Trial [https://www.linerlytica.com/register/?utm_source=W202307] Spot freight rates have resumed their weekly slide with capacity utilisation remaining weak while the blank sailing programs after the Lunar New Year holidays are coming to an end. Carriers are bringing back most of the blanked sailings on the Asia-Europe and Transpacific routes this week, with the withdrawal of the ad hoc services by the smaller carriers having an immaterial impact on overall trade capacity. MSC is
Register Free Trial [https://www.linerlytica.com/register/?utm_source=W202306] Carriers continue to discount spot freight rates in the first week after the Lunar New year holidays in Asia with blanked sailings once again proving to be ineffective in countering the slide in volumes. The Asia-Europe route was the only trade a a substantial roll pool but the healthy capacity utilisation offered little protection against sliding freight rates with carriers wary of the imminent introduction of new 2
Register Free Trial [https://www.linerlytica.com/register/?utm_source=W202305] The 2M breakup will trigger another round of market instability as Maersk and MSC jostle for pole position on the East-West routes where they currently cooperate. While MSC will have sufficient new ship capacity by 2025 to fully replace Maersk’s current vessel contribution to the 2M network, an independent Maersk network will fall behind MSC, OCEAN Alliance and THE Alliance offerings. Freight rates are still droppin
Register Free Trial [https://www.linerlytica.com/register/?utm_source=W202304] The Lunar New Year provides a timely break from the turbulence in the container markets, with more clarity to emerge after the holidays in the Far East on the direction that prices are heading. Freight rates slipped marginally in the last 2 weeks with capacity utilisation dropping in the week just before the holidays. Although carriers were able to build roll pools on the Asia-Europe route where utilisation levels we