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.
以下为微信翻译：
新闻 / 托运人面临「令人瞠目结舌」的费率和展期，因为承运人「挑选」货物
By 迈克·瓦克特 12/01/2024
托运人正争先恐后地提前订单，以减轻从亚洲到欧洲的运输时间较长的影响，因为船只在好望角周围重新安排航线。
然而，由于回程航程的延迟，亚洲的设备极度短缺，集装箱放行仅限于大批量的「VIP合同」或准备支付高额溢价的托运人。
即便如此，仍然不能绝对保证运往码头的集装箱将在2月10日农历新年之前装运，因为承运人会挑选价格高得多的现货货物，并展期低费率的合同。
向The Loadstar报道的轶事报道抱怨说，承运商在2月份为中国-北欧航线的舱位提供了「令人瞠目结舌的价格」，每40英尺超过10,000美元。
尽管如此，Xeneta首席分析师Peter Sand表示，在当前环境下，在供应链中断得到解决之前，如果托运人支付相对较低的运费，他们应该不会感到舒服。
「托运人被告知长期费率协议将不会得到兑现，并被推到现货市场。
Sand先生说：「在这种时候，托运人不应该希望支付最低的价格，因为海运承运人会考虑这些合同，并认为它们的优先级低于现货市场上以更高的费率商定的合同。
与此同时，反映平均短期利率的集装箱即期指数继续飙升。
本周的WCI北欧部分进一步上涨了23%，达到每40英尺4,406美元，自12月21日以来上涨了164%，而从亚洲到地中海的现货上涨了25%，上涨了166%。
此外，设备短缺和巴拿马运河吃水限制也推高了跨太平洋运价，自12月底以来，亚洲-美国西海岸的现货价格上涨了约三分之一，达到每40英尺约2,800美元。自 12 月以来，东海岸的平均费率上涨了 36%，达到每 40 英尺约 4,200 美元。
但是，如果承运商如愿以偿，这些即期运价在几周内将看起来很便宜，一些跨太平洋承运商将推出新的FAK（各种货运）费率，从1月15日起生效，美国西海岸每40英尺5,000美元，东部和墨西哥湾沿岸港口每40英尺7,000美元。
在其他地方，在跨大西洋上，如果现货指数可以相信，没有什么太大变化，例如Xeneta的XSI北欧到美国东海岸的即期读数实际上在一周内下降了1.5%，为每40英尺1,443美元。
然而，在美国监管机构要求的 30 天通知期到期后，一些高额的费率恢复和旺季附加费将于 2 月开始，等待跨大西洋托运人的等待。
此外，在未来几周内，承运商将把最大数量的空箱转移到回程亚洲航程，以及过剩的船舶运力，这也将推高跨大西洋运价。
