The dire shortage of empty containers in key locations, especially in Asia, is likely to persist into January, according to consultancy Sea-Intelligence.
“This is what is driving spot rate markets to historical highs, and it is what is causing significant grief to shippers looking to get their product moved in a timely fashion,” says CEO Alan Murphy.
“This also means that the question with the highest priority for everyone in the industry is: when will the equipment shortage be resolved?”
After extensive research the consultancy has established that the only scenario in which there is a prospect of resolving the problem in January is if carriers procure new containers, as well as reposition aggressively. “This is exactly the strategy that carriers are currently pursuing – however it causes significant problems for backhaul shippers.”
The market is thus faced with a stark choice, says Murphy. “Either the carriers pursue the current strategy, and there is the possibility of resolving the container shortage during January, or the carriers reduce their aggressive repositioning strategy in order to serve backhaul shippers - but then the consequence is that the empty shortage problem will persist into at least February, and possibly beyond.”
