Rates: the eternal tango

2M decision to reactivate AE2/Swan service early prompts freight rate warning

Freight rates on Asia-North Europe trades could be set to fall steeply at the end of the year if 2M partners Maersk Line and MSC follow through on their plan to relaunch the suspended AE2/Swan service at the beginning of December.
According to new research from Alphaliner, the 2M plans to reactivate the service on 5 December, much earlier than many industry experts expected.
December is traditionally one of the slackest months …

The post 2M decision to reactivate AE2/Swan service early prompts...

https://theloadstar.co.uk/2m-decision-reactivate-ae2swan-service-early-prompts-freight-rate-warning/

Box carriers sail towards a tipping point of ocean freight rates and fuel

The bellwether Shanghai Container Freight Index (SCFI) did not publish today, due to the national holiday in China, but current sentiment suggests that ocean carriers will find their rates under pressure following the Golden Week break.
Last month, the Asia to North Europe component of the SCFI shed 21% to $735 per teu, while for Mediterranean ports there was a smaller decline of 15% to $767 per teu.
Anecdotal reports from The Loadstar’s …

The post Box carriers sail towards a tipping point of...

https://theloadstar.co.uk/box-carriers-sail-towards-tipping-point-ocean-freight-rates-fuel/

Rush for space on Asia-Europe as box carriers spark new capacity crunch

North European shippers are scrambling to book space on October sailings to Asia ahead of a new capacity crunch.
The decision by ocean carriers to void 11 voyages from Asia to North Europe nest month to halt the slide in container spot rates will result in a similar number of cancelled backhaul sailings in November and December.
One UK forwarder told The Loadstar today he was encouraging his customers to bring forward as …

The post Rush for space on Asia-Europe as box carriers spark new capacity...

https://theloadstar.co.uk/rush-space-asia-europe-box-carriers-spark-new-capacity-crunch/

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