At present, European and American ports have different degrees of congestion, and congestion from the port has been spread to the inland transport. The second half of 2021 has been started, and the current situation of container shortage, container bursting, container dumping, port jumping and crazy increase of freight has been continuing all over the world, and there is still no obvious sign of relief.

You can buy a ship for shipping 300 containers

Craig Grossgaat, senior vice-president of global Marine at Seko Logistics, said recently that a shipper who needed to ship 300 containers from Shanghai and Yantan to Los Angeles next month had already received a $25,000 /FEU offer, "which is a serious offer".

To calculate a simple account, the quotation of $25000 /FEU for 300 containers means that if this transportation task is successfully completed, the total freight will reach $7.5 million.

In January of this year, a 15-year-old 2800TEU container ship sold for about the same price.

So you can buy a ship for the cost of shipping 300 containers? !

Seafaring prices rise, what factors drive?

1. Behind the continuous surge in shipping rates, major economies such as the United States and Europe have emerged from the epidemic and the demand for continuous repair. Meanwhile, global shipping capacity is "in short supply".

From the data point of view, the global manufacturing PMI index, which reflects the global economic and trade sentiment, has bounced back to 56% from the low of 39.6% since May 2020. Since the second half of 2020, the global consolidated transport capacity has only rebounded from 2.6% to 4% year-on-year, completely "unable to keep up" with the pace of demand repair.

2. Global shipping capacity is "in short supply", because shipping vessels have been operating at full capacity, at the same time, there is a serious shortage of new ships and capacity.

Data show that since the second half of 2020, with the huge expansion of the demand for consolidation, the idle rate of global consolidation capacity has fallen sharply from the previous high of 11.4% to the historical low of 4.7%.

According to the statistics of Clarksons, in 2020, the global consolidation capacity will actually increase by 860,000 TEU, which is only equivalent to 3.6% of the existing capacity, and cannot meet the demand for consolidation at all.

3. The "labor shortage" at ports in the United States, Europe and other countries, as well as the large reduction in the number of seamen caused by repeated epidemics, have further slowed the release of global shipping capacity and pushed up freight rates.

In addition to the ship shortage, many core ports in the United States, Europe and other economies due to the "labor shortage", operating efficiency has plummeted.

At the same time, a sharp rebound in outbreaks in India and the Philippines has led several countries to refuse entry to ships carrying Indian and Filipino seafarers, who together account for more than a third of the world's seafarers.

The "Labour shortage" at ports and the decline of Indian and Filipino seafarers have further exacerbated the supply and demand gap in the shipping industry and pushed up rates.

Scalpers can't escape the shipping market

Where there is demand, there are scalpers, and the shipping market is no exception.

"Sometimes you get the space, but you don't always get to the container." An unnamed foreign trade merchants told reporters that before the general row to the shipping space can get the container.

"We buy space through shipping companies, but that can't meet our demand, so sometimes we have to buy some space by hand, of course the price is higher." Located in yiwu city, zhejiang province, a freight forwarder told reporters so, he said the "hand", is often said to be "scalpers".

This situation is not unique, through the scalpers to buy high-priced cabins and containers has become an inevitable link. Due to the serious shortage of boxes in the market now, to meet the different needs of different customers, it is the only way to do.

"Now a very important reason for the high freight rate is scalpers." A freight manager said. They don't have to worry about terminal delivery, customs clearance and other issues. "Compared to our level of agents, scalpers are more profitable, they only need to fry boxes, sell boxes."

Freight rates have risen so dramatically that many people in the industry joke that now a cargo is like crossing a robbery:

There is no space!

There is no price for space!

Have the price have the space to begin to have no box again!

Be informed again temporary price increase!

Jilted by shipowner! Came back by shipowner!

It's all settled and I'm late again! The ship may have delayed the port again...

In this reminder, July peak season price rise tide coming, you shippers freight forwarder friends, reasonable arrangements for shipment, the phenomenon of the follow-up in the mind have a expectation and preparation.

Enterprises and individuals engaged in related trade

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