THERE HAS proved to be room for rates restoration on the SA-Europe sea trade as the supply/demand ratio swings in favour of the shipping lines.
First off the blocks was the eight-line consortium of the Europe Southern Africa Conference - announcing a general rates hike of US$150 per TEU (twenty foot equivalent unit) on the southbound run, and US$100/TEU on the northbound.
This covers bookings made with Consortia Hispania Lines; Deutsche Afrika Linien (DAL); Ellerman Harrison Container Line; Maritime Carrier Shipping (Macs); Maersk Sealand; P&O Nedlloyd; Safmarine; and Transatlantic Southern Africa Services.
FTW spoke to Glen Delve, export manager of independent on the route, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). He confirmed that MSC would also be following suit with its own rise in rates.
We are also looking for the same sort of increase - of about US$100-150 a box, he said.
But I must stress that we will remain flexible in our pricing policy, and will negotiate individually with clients.
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