Bangkok Shipowners and Agent Association

Bangkok Shipowners and Agents Association

To promote shipping interest with the goal of dealing with problems facing general shipping interests in Thailand and her territorial waters.

Home News World Shipping News Restoration Period! Asia-Europe westbound trades face steep rate increases
Restoration Period! Asia-Europe westbound trades face steep rate increases PDF Print E-mail
Friday, 10 February 2012 06:35
Shpg Gazette 10/2/12

OCEAN carriers are setting on a rate restoration programme for the
westbound trade lane by increasing general rate increases (GRI) from US$600
to $900/TEU to alleviate depressed volumes and rates.


The Asia-Europe trade lane saw decreased container traffic drop 0.5 per
cent in the final quarter with a quarter-on-quarter basis recording
declines of 4.2 per cent in second quarter and 3.7 per cent in the third
quarter. The deepest decline in November reached 5.8 per cent with a slight
uptick in December compared to same period 2010.

But fourth quarter container volumes were still 3.3 per cent higher than
2010, according to figures from Container Trades Statistics, though a
consistently bad performance on the Asia-Europe rates for dry and reefer
cargo, dropping 16.8 per cent to 13.9 million TEU year on year offset gains.

An aggressive slew of GRIs of which include the German carrier's
Hapag-Lloyd and Japan's MOL increasing by $750/TEU on westbound trades
effective March 1. "K" Line and NYK will raise rates by $725/TEU and
$650/TEU effective March 1 and 2 respectively. Hong Kong-based carrier OOCL
has introduced even higher increase at $800/TEU.