News / Shippers face 'eye-watering' rates and rollovers as carriers 'cherry-pick' cargo
By Mike Wackett 12/01/2024
Shippers are scrambling to bring forward orders in a bid to mitigate the impact of the longer transit times from Asia to Europe as vessels are re-routed around the Cape of Good Hope.
However, equipment in Asia is in extremely short supply, due to the delayed backhaul voyages, and container release is being restricted to large-volume ‘VIP contracts’ or shippers prepared to pay a hefty premium.
And even then, there is still no absolute guarantee that containers delivered to the quay will be shipped before the Chinese New Year on 10 February, as carriers cherry-pick much-higher-paying spot cargo and roll over low-rated contracts.
Anecdotal reports to The Loadstar complain of carriers offering 「eye-watering rates」, in excess of $10,000 per 40ft, for space on China-North Europe sailings in February.
Nevertheless, Xeneta chief analyst Peter Sand suggests that in the current climate, and until the supply chain disruption is resolved, shippers should not feel comfortable if they are paying a relatively low freight rate.
「Shippers are being told agreements on long-term rates will not be honoured and are being pushed onto the spot market.
「At times like these, shippers should not want to be paying the lowest price, because ocean freight carriers will look at those contracts and deem them lower priority than those agreed on the spot market at higher rates,」 said Mr Sand.
Meanwhile, the container spot indices that reflect average short-term rates continue to surge.
This week’s WCI North Europe component jumped by a further 23%, to $4,406 per 40ft, representing a huge 164% since 21 December, while the spot from Asia to the Mediterranean climbed 25%, 166% higher.
Moreover, shortage of equipment and Panama Canal draught restrictions have also driven up transpacific rates, with Asia-US west coast spots gaining around a third in value since the end of December, to around $2,800 per 40ft. And average rates to the east coast have increased 36% since December, to approximately $4,200 per 40ft.
But if carriers get their way, these spot rates will look cheap in a few weeks’ time, with some transpacific carriers rolling out new FAK (freight all kinds) rates, effective from 15 January, of $5,000 per 40ft for the US west coast and $7,000 for east and Gulf coast ports.,
Elsewhere, on the transatlantic, if the spot indices can be believed, nothing much has changed, with for instance Xeneta’s XSI North Europe to the US east coast spot reading actually down 1.5% on the week, at $1,443 per 40ft.
Nevertheless, waiting in the wings for transatlantic shippers are a number of hefty rate restoration and peak season surcharges that will kick in in February, after the 30-day notice period required by US regulators expires.
Furthermore, in the coming weeks carriers will be diverting the maximum amount of empty boxes to backhaul Asia voyages, along with surplus vessel capacity, which will combine to also drive up transatlantic rates.
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新聞 / 托運人面臨「令人瞠目結舌」的費率和展期，因為承運人「挑選」貨物
By 麥克·瓦克特 12/01/2024
托運人正爭先恐後地提前訂單，以減輕從亞洲到歐洲的運輸時間較長的影響，因為船只在好望角周圍重新安排航線。
然而，由於回程航程的延遲，亞洲的裝置極度短缺，貨櫃放行僅限於大批次的「VIP合約」或準備支付高額溢價的托運人。
即便如此，仍然不能絕對保證運往碼頭的貨櫃將在2月10日農歷新年之前裝運，因為承運人會挑選價格高得多的現貨貨物，並展期低費率的合約。
向The Loadstar報道的軼事報道抱怨說，承運商在2月份為中國-北歐航線的艙位提供了「令人瞠目結舌的價格」，每40英尺超過10,000美元。
盡管如此，Xeneta首席分析師Peter Sand表示，在當前環境下，在供應鏈中斷得到解決之前，如果托運人支付相對較低的運費，他們應該不會感到舒服。
「托運人被告知長期費率協定將不會得到兌現，並被推到現貨市場。
Sand先生說：「在這種時候，托運人不應該希望支付最低的價格，因為海運承運人會考慮這些合約，並認為它們的優先級低於現貨市場上以更高的費率商定的合約。
與此同時，反映平均短期利率的貨櫃即期指數繼續飆升。
本周的WCI北歐部份進一步上漲了23%，達到每40英尺4,406美元，自12月21日以來上漲了164%，而從亞洲到地中海的現貨上漲了25%，上漲了166%。
此外，裝置短缺和巴拿馬運河吃水限制也推高了跨太平洋運價，自12月底以來，亞洲-美國西海岸的現貨價格上漲了約三分之一，達到每40英尺約2,800美元。自 12 月以來，東海岸的平均費率上漲了 36%，達到每 40 英尺約 4,200 美元。
但是，如果承運商如願以償，這些即期運價在幾周內將看起來很便宜，一些跨太平洋承運商將推出新的FAK（各種貨運）費率，從1月15日起生效，美國西海岸每40英尺5,000美元，東部和墨西哥灣沿岸港口每40英尺7,000美元。
在其他地方，在跨大西洋上，如果現貨指數可以相信，沒有什麽太大變化，例如Xeneta的XSI北歐到美國東海岸的即期讀數實際上在一周內下降了1.5%，為每40英尺1,443美元。
然而，在美國監管機構要求的 30 天通知期到期後，一些高額的費率恢復和旺季附加費將於 2 月開始，等待跨大西洋托運人的等待。
此外，在未來幾周內，承運商將把最大數量的空箱轉移到回程亞洲航程，以及過剩的船舶運力，這也將推高跨大西洋運價。
