Drewry’s World Container Index (WCI) Archives

Asia-USWC spot rates spike as Chinese New Year holiday looms

21 January 2022

Container spot rates from Asia to the US west coast spiked this week, ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday on 1 February.
Drewry’s WCI US west coast component put on 5%, to $11,197 per 40ft, while the Freightos Baltic Index (FBX), which includes an element of premium fees, gained 3.5%, to $15,139.
For the US east coast, there were mixed messages from the spot indices, with the WCI up 2% on the …

The post Asia-USWC spot rates spike as Chinese New Year holiday looms appeared first on The Loadstar.

https://theloadstar.com/asia-uswc-spot-rates-spike-as-chinese-new-year-holiday-looms/

‘Snouts in the trough’ attack, as Maersk results are turbo-charged by 80% rate hike

14 January 2022

As a harbinger of spectacular results from the liner industry for the final quarter of 2021, on the back of an 80% average rate increase and a new record for quarterly earnings, Maersk has again upgraded its full-year guidance.
Based on preliminary results, the Danish shipping company said today it expected to report up to a further $1.8bn in Q4 earnings, for a revised full-year ebit of $19.8bn.
Maersk said it would …

The post ‘Snouts in the trough’ attack, as Maersk results are turbo-charged by...

https://theloadstar.com/snouts-in-the-trough-attack-as-maersk-results-are-turbo-charged-by-80-rate-hike/

‘Stick or twist’ – do shippers play the spot market or go for fixed-rate contracts?

7 January 2022

Volume shippers offered new long-term fixed-rate contracts by container lines are, nevertheless, still keen to keep a foot in the door of the spot market.
The extreme volatility of the spot market saw many shippers get their fingers badly burned over the past 18 months as rates were turbocharged by supply constraints and strong consumer demand.
But if port congestion eases and demand softens, short-term market rates could head south again quite …

The post ‘Stick or twist’ – do shippers play the...

https://theloadstar.com/stick-or-twist-do-shippers-play-the-spot-market-or-go-for-fixed-rate-contracts/

Forwarders ‘fear the worst’ and ‘don’t have a clue’ on shipping rates next year

10 December 2021

Container spot rates are edging up again across most tradelanes, with a big spike expected in January ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday.
According to today’s Ningbo Containerized Freight Index (NCFI), 15 of its 21 routes recorded modest increases against a continuing backdrop of tight capacity.
And from Asia to North Europe, Drewry’s World Container Index (WCI) was flat, at $13,564 per 40ft, the Freightos Baltic Index (FBX) ticked up 1%, …

The post Forwarders ‘fear the worst’ and ‘don’t have...

https://theloadstar.com/forwarders-fear-the-worst-and-dont-have-a-clue-on-shipping-rates-next-year/

Maersk forwarder clients left in limbo as carrier restricts them to Spot deals

3 December 2021

Maersk’s forwarding and NVOCC customers are being targeted by competitor lines as the Danish carrier prepares to restrict their bookings to its online Maersk Spot platform next year.
Meanwhile, container spot rate indices, the bedrock for the Maersk platform, are bucking the usual slack season trend and holding steady at highly-elevated levels.
A UK-based NVOCC told The Loadstar this morning his Maersk rep had admitted he could no longer offer him a …

The post Maersk forwarder clients left in...

https://theloadstar.com/maersk-forwarder-clients-left-in-limbo-as-carrier-restricts-them-to-spot-deals/

Reading the post-CNY container market can be a risky business

26 November 2021

Any significant fall in container spot rates from Asia seems increasingly unlikely this side of February’s Chinese New Year, but thereafter the jury is out on the direction of the spot market.
And this adds an element of risk for shippers signing up to new and expensive long-term contracts.
However, the fear of paying too much for new contracts has to be balanced against the danger that another tight spot market next …

The post Reading the post-CNY container market can be a risky business...

https://theloadstar.com/reading-the-post-cny-container-market-can-be-a-risky-business/