At the critical moment when the long-term contract countdown for the new year on the US Line is entering, shipping companies are planning to raise spot freight rates for the second time to increase their bargaining chips and strive for higher long-term contract prices.
Like other major shipping lines, Evergreen, Yang Ming and Wan Hai are optimistic about demand recovery in the second half of the year and announced that they will raise freight rates across the board again on May 1. Customer acceptance, however, will determine whether higher freight increases are realized.
01 Evergreen and Yangming will add GRI on the Far East-North America route from May 1
Evergreen and Yang Ming have recently issued notices to customers again. They will increase the GRI (General Rate Surcharge) fees for the Far East-North America route from May 1. It is expected that the 20-foot container will increase by US$900 and the 40-foot container will increase by US$900. An increase of US$1,000 is equivalent to a 60% increase in the current freight rate.
Major container ships around the world are still implementing strategies to reduce capacity and slow down. As global cargo volume begins to recover, major shipping companies have successively announced that they will begin to impose GRI surcharges on April 15 (originally planning to increase freight rates by US$1,000). But in the end it only increased by US$600). Evergreen and Yang Ming recently issued notices to logistics practitioners and customers that they will increase the GRI again starting from May 1.
In addition, logistics practitioners pointed out that people in the global shipping industry generally believe that freight rates should return to reasonable levels. Currently, negotiations on the Far East-North America route are in full swing. There are already cases where no one is willing to sign a money-losing contract. Long-term customers hope that shipping companies will We are willing to accept reasonable freight rates as long as the shipping space is stably provided. It is understood that the freight rates of new long-term contracts signed on the US lines are higher than the spot prices.
Judging from the price increase, shipping companies have taken actions to defend freight rates. As market demand gradually stabilizes, Yang Ming Shipping has notified customers that Far East-North America freight rates vary slightly depending on different routes, and GRI fees are added, with an average of about 20 There is an additional charge of US$900 for a 10-foot container, US$1,000 for a 40-foot container, US$1,125 for a special container, and US$1,266 for a 45-foot container.
A notice issued by Evergreen Shipping to logistics practitioners shows that it is expected that from May 1, the GRI for 20-foot containers from the Far East, South Africa, East Africa and the Middle East to the United States and Puerto Rico will be increased by US$900, and the GRI for 40-foot containers will be charged by US$1,000. 45 A foot-high container costs an additional US$1,266, while a 20-foot and 40-foot refrigerated box costs an additional US$1,000.
But the actual increase depends on customer acceptance. Some freight forwarding practitioners said that this price increase is very difficult, mainly because the US line cargo volume is sluggish, and the second quarter is not yet the traditional peak season;
However, some practitioners believe that with the withdrawal of small and medium-sized shipping companies from the market, the three major alliances accounted for more than 80% of the market, coupled with the effect of reducing classes and reducing cabins, the American Line finally succeeded in raising prices in mid-April, coupled with the continued reduction of cabins, There is still a chance for a rise, but the increase is limited.
However, higher rates are more a result of better capacity management and sailing cancellations by liner operators than a rebound in cargo volumes.
02 In order to support the increase in GRI, many U.S. routes have been suspended again.
Following April 11, 2M alliance partners Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Company canceled the MSC ARIES/318N voyage on the TP2 route.
On the 21st, Maersk issued a customer notification stating that in order to better respond to demand fluctuations, Maersk will cancel three voyages on three Asia-US routes, namely the MDV TBN/320N voyage on the TP2 route and the Maersk Esmeralds/319N on the TP6 route. voyage, Good Prospect/318W voyage of TP11 route.
MDV TBN/320N voyage: The cargo will be received by TP8 Maersk Antares/319N via Xiamen or transferred to TP2 MSC Laurence/319N in Yantian.
Maersk Esmeralds/319N voyage: Cargo will be received by TP6 Maersk Eureka/320N and TP8 Maersk Altair/321N.
Good Prospect/318W voyage: The cargo will be received by TP17 Columbine Maersk/318W calling in Colombo.
The ports of call for the TP2 route are as follows:
TP2: Shekou-Nansha New Port-Yantian-Ningbo-Shanghai-Long Beach
The ports of call for the TP6 route are as follows:
TP6: Vung Tau-Hong Kong-Yantian-Xiamen-Los Angeles
The ports of call for the TP11 route are as follows:
TP11: Singapore-Tanjung Pelepas-Colombo-Salalah-Newark-Norfolk-Savannah
However, it is worth noting that demand is recovering, according to Signal data from the Port of Los Angeles, which shows that in week 18 (April 30 to May 6), 21 ships will arrive at the Los Angeles terminal, with a total cargo capacity of 109,965TEU, an increase of 12% over the same period last year.
03 Summary of recent sailing suspensions and port hopping
According to the latest data from Drewry, of a total of 675 scheduled sailings on the main trans-Pacific, trans-Atlantic and Asia trade routes to Northern Europe and the Mediterranean, between weeks 17 (April 24-30) and week 21 ( In the five weeks from May 22 to 30, 57 sailings were canceled, accounting for 8% of the total.
During this period, 51% of the suspensions occurred on the eastbound trans-Pacific trade route, 42% on the Asia to Northern Europe and Mediterranean route, and 7% on the westbound transatlantic trade route. Among them, the eastbound trans-Pacific route from Asia to North America has lost 29 sailings, accounting for more than half. Shipping companies have reduced supply and raised freight rates by reducing flights.
Over the next five weeks, THE Alliance has announced the cancellation of a whopping 23 sailings, followed by the Ocean Alliance and the 2M Alliance, which have canceled 19 sailings and 7 sailings respectively. During the same period, non-shipping alliances implemented eight suspensions.
Drewry said shipping lines had managed to increase spot rates even as demand remained weak, resulting in low load factors on key east-west trade routes.
Shipping lines have increased or stabilized spot rates on key east-west trade routes from Asia, but spot rates on westbound transatlantic routes are still falling. Given the expected arrival of new capacity, operators face real challenges in managing capacity and maintaining current spot rates.
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