Rates and terms deteriorating

摘要

Rate levels for the 1,100-4,250 TEU spectrum were down almost 4.0% month-on-month as per 18 October, according to the New ConTex. The Howe Robinson Containership Index, which also tracks the traditional post-pan-amax and the smallest feeder classes, slipped by 7.0% month-on-month. Downward pressure has been most severe for large gearless vessels in the 5,500-7,500 TEU segment, for panamaxes and for feeder/handy types between 1,000 and 2,000 TEU. Overall, the short-term outlook for the container trades continued to worsen over the past weeks. All the fresh data coming in only confirms that trade growth is more and more limited to the transpacific and shorthaul Intra-Asia trades. According to Container Trades Statistics (CTS), volume growth on the routes from Asia to North Europe and the Mediterranean combined is down to a marginal 0.1 % for the first eight months. It is even down -1.1% only for the trade to North Europe.