Ocean carriers face record shortfall in containers
PARIS — Maritime news service Alphaliner says ocean carriers will face a shortage of containers in the coming months as production of new boxes falls below growing demand.
Alphaliner says the box-inventory-to-vessel capacity ratio will drop to 1.99 by the end of the year from 2.03 in 2010.
It would be the lowest ratio on record, says the Paris-based company. It says back-haul shippers from the U.S. and Europe will be hit hardest by the box shortage as carriers will need to quickly return empty containers to high-demand locations in Asia.
The situation could lead to a rise in freight rates, as happened last summer when lines imposed peak season surcharges of up to $750 per 20-foot container on the Asia-Europe trade.
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