Container highs and lows for 2010

Although 2010 has not
been the happiest of years
for the global container
industry, it has certainly
brought a few more
smiles to faces than the
18 miserable months
preceding it.
The key events in the
international and local
container scene were:
* Annual production
at the world’s two largest
container manufacturers
in China (which produce
about 90% of global
output) is expected to be
only 1.35-million TEUs
this year. This is well down
on the 4.2-m produced in
2007, and the current fleet
of 5-m.
* Global container
traffic is expected to hit
138.4-million TEUs this
year – the record highest
since containerisation
began almost 40-years ago.
* The cellular
containership orderbook
has risen for the first time
since July 2008, due to the
resurgence in new order
activity and a slower pace
of new vessel deliveries in
October.
* The growth in container
ship supply in 2011 and
2012 is expected to come
close to the 9.6% forecast
for this year.
* Overall demand-supply
balance remains delicate
and any slowdown in
demand will cause a return
of excess supply. The 2011
demand growth is likely to
be well below the 12.5%
growth rate projected for
2010, with current fourthquarter
growth levels
considerably lower than
those of the first three
quarters.