Weekly Commentary on China Containerized Transportation

Zhu+Pengzhou

In the week ending Feb.26， China export box market is entering the traditional shipment rush because of the Spring Festival， with cargo volume in most service rising， but freight rates going uneven.

The comprehensive index rises somehow. On Feb.6， China （Export） Containerized Freight Index （CCFI） issued by Shanghai Shipping Exchange （SSE） quotes 1065.69 points， almost unchanged from one week ago; Shanghai （Export） Containerized Freight Index （SCFI） issued by SSE quotes 1087.32 points， growing by 3.1% against one week ago.

In the European service， the connected shipment boosts transport demand before the traditional Spring Festival. However， as the gradual delivery and launch of mega vessels， the effect of increasing demand is shrunk， leaving demand/supply condition unimproved reversely.

Both the average slot utilization rates in the Europe and Mediterranean services stand around 95%. On Feb.6， freight indices in the services from China to Europe and Mediterranean quote 1329.73 points and 1526.86 points， up by 1.2% and 2.2% from one week ago.

In addition， owing to the excess capacity， most box liners cancel freight rate increasing plan in Feb.， and decrease spot rate. Freight rates in the Europe and Mediterranean services decline to be USD900 per TEU and USD1200 per TEU.

In the North America service， supported by the good economy condition in the U.S. and hot consuming demand， transport demand strengthens continuously.

Simultaneously， impacted by the collective negotiation， Southwest ports in the U.S. are congestion. Most box liners begin to increase rate following TSA， spot rate enhancing evidently. On Feb.6， freight rates in the services from Shanghai to USWC and USEC （covering seaborne surcharges） quote USD2242/FEU and USD4978/FEU， jumping by 13.3% and 6.3% against last week.

Cargo volume in the Australia/New Zealand service grows a lot. Supported by the ceasing service measures by AADA members， demand/supply condition has a slight improvement instead of reversion， leaving spot rate tumbling. On Feb.6， freight index in the China-Australia New Zealand service quotes 804.60 points， almost unchanged from one week ago.

Transport demand rises slightly in the Persian Gulf service， where the average slot utilization rate climbs to be around 90%. More than one box carriers push freight rate increasing plan， but impacted by the weak demand of transport demand， freight rate grows only about USD50 per TEU.

On Feb.6， freight rate in the Shanghai-Persian Gulf service （covering seaborne surcharges） quotes USD724 per TEU， up by 5.8% against one week ago.

Cargo volume rebounds somehow in the Japan service， where the average slot utilization rate keeps at around 65%， with spot rate stable.

On Feb.6， freight index in the China-Japan service quotes 694.12 points.

（Please contact the Information Dept of SSE for more details.）