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.”
