Shippers are resigned to the probability that container spot freight rates from Asia will remain at their current high levels for some time after Chinese New Year. Today’s beginning of the Chinese lunar new year would usually herald several weeks of downward pressure on freight rates, but so far there are no indications...
Extra loaders deployed by transpacific carriers to meet booming import demand have overwhelmed the US gateways of Los Angeles and Long Beach. According to a survey by Alphaliner, the capacity of the 27 ships berthed and 41 at anchorage at the San Pedro Bay ports stood at a massive 579,100 teu on Monday. The consultant calculated that the 41 ships...
Container freight rates from Asia to Europe are going through the roof, mirroring the trend on the transpacific, with regulators seemingly unable to stop the relentless onslaught on shippers that threatens to sink business. European and US importers outside or in excess of contract are seeing their freight budgets destroyed by unprecedented...
Container rates across main and secondary tradelanes are exploding, with no hope of any easing of the pain for ocean freight shippers in the coming weeks, or possibly even months. Today’s Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) comprehensive index value has doubled since May, with several tradelane components recording gains in spot rates...
Shippers around the world face huge supply chain challenges from port congestion and an acute shortage of containers. And one carrier source The Loadstar spoke to today said the problems “will get worse”. “There are so many pinch points building now and they will only get worse before the holiday season and may...
Container shipping spot rates on the main deepsea east-west trades this week maintained the historic highs seen in recent weeks. Today’s Shanghai Containerised Freight Index demonstrates that carriers continue to hold the upper hand as the annual round of contract negotiations on the Asia-Europe trades looms. The SCFI’s Shanghai-North Europe route ticked up...
Today’s Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) shows a further 10.65-point gain in its comprehensive index to 1,448.87 – 71% higher than at the end of May. The huge increase over the past five months, in the midst of the pandemic, has been driven by substantial gains in container spot rates across both...
