Analysis of the average all-in freight rates of the group of ocean carriers monitored by CI in the east-west trades during Q1 2006 shows a similar mixed bag of results to the last quarter. While the eastbound transpacific trade again fell back slightly, the westbound Asia/Europe trade-lane went from bad to worse, and the westbound transatlantic trade continued to power ahead. Unfortunately, there are fewer public checks on this information, following the merging of P&O Nedlloyd/Maersk Sealand, and CP Ships/Hapag-Lloyd, and Hanjin no longer publishes a freight index. The only carrier to still openly publish any freight rate information is APL, whose overall average rate in Q1 2006 fell by 1%, compared with the same period last year. Strip out higher fuel surcharges and the pain would have been much worse.
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