The cost of each “box”

on the China-US route

remains high

 

According to Reuters news agency, there has recently been a significant increase in orders from China by US retailers trying to meet the seasonally increased needs of the buying public. This phenomenon is contributing to further increasing pressure on the international supply chain. At the same time, in the container shipping industry, the accelerated transmission of the Covid-19 Delta mutation has led to congestion at ports around the world. In addition to these, the adverse weather conditions that hit China’s southern coastline in late July and early August further aggravates the current context of short supply in the container market, Reuters news agency reported.

As a result, the cost of transporting a 40-foot-long container on the route linking China and the US has reached a new record high of $20,000. It should be noted that these prices mark an increase of more than 500% compared to last year. At the same time, the corresponding cost on the route between China and Europe is almost $14,000.

Moreover, this situation has also led to an increase in fares on this route, forcing shipowners to abandon less profitable routes. Some carriers are acting along the same lines, reducing trade volumes on less lucrative routes.

Finally, while the orderbook of container ships has “grown” significantly in recent months due to the delay in the delivery of newbuildings, supply is not expected to change significantly until 2023.

Source : www.naftikachronika.gr/2021/08/11/yperogko-to-kostos-kathe-koutiou-sti-diadromi-kina-ipa/