Containers

Box contract rates fall

Xeneta CEO Patrik Berglund on where the markets are headed in the coming months

The latest data from the Xeneta Shipping Index (XSI) reveals long-term contracted rates fell by 1.1% in September. This is the first drop since January and one of only three declines in the past 21 months. However, we expect it won’t be the last, with market fundamentals suggesting the halcyon days of ever-increasing rates for carriers may be drawing to a close.

It had to happen sooner or later. We’ve seen a steady, and at times spectacular, uptick of long-term contracted rates since the early days of the pandemic. This has fuelled record-breaking carrier profits, much to the dismay of a financially-stressed shipper community. But, over the past couple of months, clear signs of a market shift have emerged.

Spot rates have been dropping across the board and have, on some key corridors, plunged over the course of the last month as lower demand and easing port congestion take effect. The divide between the long- and short-term market is now wider than ever before on many trades, despite record numbers of blank sailings in what would normally be considered a peak season.

In short, this means the shoe is finally on the other foot when it comes to upcoming contract negotiations for Q4 and beyond. The shippers are in the ascendancy while carriers will now be competing to lock-in volumes in the face of lower global demand. Therefore, we expect this month’s relatively marginal decline to pick up pace as the year draws to a close.

That said, the industry has to bear in mind that these rates falls should be seen in a context of a market that’s been in overdrive for a sustained period of time.

So much of the focus has been on profits and performance, but it might be helpful to move to an atmosphere of establishing trust and building solid relationships between stakeholders. That attitude would certainly help around the negotiating table.

There is a very long way for rates to fall before we start talking about any major corrections in line with pre-pandemic levels. Of course, it could be a case of the bigger they are the harder they fall, but the carriers have proven very adept at managing the supply-demand balance in recent times, so nothing’s certain here. We certainly expect rates to soften in the near-future… but by how much? ●

“The shoe is finally on the other foot”