Peak season somewhat muted

Has there been a peak season – or
not?
Yes, said Tim Hastie, GM of K
Line, but not as great as it has been in
past years.
“Although imports are coming in,
it’s not the same peak as we had even
in the lean years of 2008/09,” he told
FTW. “However, the Far East-SA
trade has balanced out a bit (between
the slim peak season volumes and
the capacity), with CSAV tying in
with MSC, and reducing the overall
tonnage somewhat.
“That has helped rate restoration a
bit. Although it has been something
of a ‘wait-and-see’, we have achieved
a small increase in rates.”
He described the present situation
giving off “mixed signals”. “Ships are
running 100% full on the incoming
leg,” he said, “but there’s no extra
cargo held over for the next voyage as
there usually is at the peak season.”
And, although the ships are full,
the big question is when it will taper
off. “The peak season usually lasts
till the end of November, but there’s
no guarantee that that will be the case
this year,” he said.
Sam Moffitt, MD of Hamburg
Süd in SA, had a similar view. “The
volumes are following the natural
upward trend this year, but it’s
nowhere near the strong trend you
would expect.”