当前位置：新闻动态
Surging fuel prices eat into ocean liners' profits, while spot rates drop
来源： 编辑：编辑部 发布：2018/04/09 09:31:28
SOARING fuel costs are hitting container shipping lines hard at a time when spot rates from Asia to Europe and from Asia to the US west coast are 30 per cent lower than 12 months ago, yet fuel costs have jumped by one-fifth.
Most carriers claim it is "too early to say" at what level rates will settle but concerns are mounting within ocean liners' management teams that the cumulative US$7 billion industry profit in 2017 could have been a one-off, reported UK's The Loadstar.
Speaking during Hapag Lloyd's 2017 results presentation, chief executive Rolf Habben-Jansen said new contracts on the route had been agreed at a level "on average somewhat better than a year ago," although it was not clear whether this took into account the higher cost of bunker fuel.
However, spot business makes up half of the total liftings on the trade and carriers cannot support any further rate declines.
On the other hand, there was better news for transpacific carriers, with the SCFI reacting positively to April 1 general rate increases, rising 19.3 per cent to the US west coast to $1,127 per 40 foot container (FEU), and gaining 11.1 per cent to US east coast ports to $2,148 per FEU.
The positive shift in the US trades last week was good news for carriers trying to negotiate improved contract rates from May 1, however, spot rates are still 31 per cent below 2017 levels for the west coast and 19 per cent lower for the US east coast.
Most carriers claim it is "too early to say" at what level rates will settle but concerns are mounting within ocean liners' management teams that the cumulative US$7 billion industry profit in 2017 could have been a one-off, reported UK's The Loadstar.
Speaking during Hapag Lloyd's 2017 results presentation, chief executive Rolf Habben-Jansen said new contracts on the route had been agreed at a level "on average somewhat better than a year ago," although it was not clear whether this took into account the higher cost of bunker fuel.
However, spot business makes up half of the total liftings on the trade and carriers cannot support any further rate declines.
On the other hand, there was better news for transpacific carriers, with the SCFI reacting positively to April 1 general rate increases, rising 19.3 per cent to the US west coast to $1,127 per 40 foot container (FEU), and gaining 11.1 per cent to US east coast ports to $2,148 per FEU.
The positive shift in the US trades last week was good news for carriers trying to negotiate improved contract rates from May 1, however, spot rates are still 31 per cent below 2017 levels for the west coast and 19 per cent lower for the US east coast.