It looks like container prices on the Europe to U.S. tradelane just got a whole lot heftier with spot rates climbing roughly 180% over the past six months and carriers now introducing new peak season surcharges up to $2,700. According to one UK-based forwarder, “one minute we were thinking how lucky we were not to be suffering the massive rate hikes on cargo from Asia, and then we started to get advisories from carriers of GRIs and surcharges and virtually told that, unless we paid a premium fee on top of the other increases, our containers would not be shipped.”
Meanwhile, the chaotic congestion U.S. ports are currently dealing with is likely to extend even further than previously expected as maritime leaders voice concerns over growing logjams. And the FMC is launching yet another investigation against global ocean carriers as new complaints emerge regarding “whether container lines have been deliberately turning away hazardous materials transport contracts,” according to Splash247.com.
In other news, a new report analyzing shipping container market growth and trends has revealed that “the global shipping container market size is expected to reach USD 15.83 billion by 2028., expanding at a CAGR of 12.0% from 2020 to 2028.” Finally, there’s the International Chamber of Shipping’s latest proposal for an international market-based levy on shipping vessels’ carbon emissions, which could potentially increase the timeline of the industry’s adoption of zero-carbon fuels.
To learn more about this week’s top international shipping industry news, check out the following article highlights:
