Traders caught in middle of sea freight costs hike as disruptions worsening

摘要

The recent surge in container freight costs and availability of cargo space continue to disrupt trade flows in minerals and metals, with trading companies finding themselves unable to dodge the soaring shipping rates. A combination of fewer vessels on the water, an imbalance in trade flows to and from China, and competition between cargoes has kickstarted a rapid increase in shipping costs for container freight out of China over the past two to three weeks. The higher rates have already affected prices for a number of commodities, including white fused alumina (WFA), graphite and manganese flake.