An Estimated 2.2m teu equivalents of new containers were eased into the global market in 2013, a significant decrease on the upper end annual 3m teu prior to the 2008 global financial meltdown. That lower trend, according to a consensus of the major container lessors, looks set to continue into 2014, as shipping lines again shy away from sustained box purchases for their own fleet requirements. Top box manufacturer, China International Marine Container, told shareholders in its third quarter results that weak Chinese exports and the downturn of global shipping saw the container industry perform "slightly below expectation".
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