Container shipping’s hard-won financial gains, posted by carriers over the past couple of years, are under threat as costs around IMO 2020 continue to rise, according to a recent study by global consulting firm AlixPartners.The 2020 Global Container Shipping Outlook reveals that the sector is under severe pressure in light of rising, non-transparent prices as the International Maritime Organisation’s 0.5% sulphur cap on fuel takes hold.The study points to growing frustration on the part of shippers, freight forwarders and non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOCCs) about what they’ve long perceived as opacity on the part of the container shipping sector regarding its pricing, now compounded by the implementation of the IMO 2020 rule.“Carriers could see their hard-fought financial gains of recent years totally evaporate if they fail to control costs, including how they manage fuel costs and customer expectations around fuel costs,” said Alix Partners MD Esben Christensen.“The wide spreads today between the costs of intermediate- and low-sulphur fuels might suggest that installing scrubbers should at least be considered; however, carriers need to carefully consider the details if and how they go about converting vessels, plus other longer-term factors such as whether smaller and more-remote ports might be challenged to secure adequate low-sulphur fuel supplies.”