The number of idled ships has dropped to levels not seen since the pandemic.
According to new Alphaliner statistics, commercially idle tonnage in the first half year represented an average of 0.7% the container shipping fleet. “This is similar to levels seen during pandemics”, it reported.
Alphaliner data revealed that only 77 ships out of 217.038 teu are currently not generating revenue . As carriers continue to look for any available tonnage in order to maintain services, none exceed 18,000 teu, and only two exceed 12,500 teu.
Stanley Smulders told The Loadstar, the director of marketing and commercial at ONE: “If you take a look at all statistics, there aren’t any ships idle. All vessels are in use. All shipping lines are in urgent need of ships. .”
In yesterday’s Flexport Freight Market Update the forwarder warned of price increases until supply exceeds demand.
“Long-term prices are currently below current spot rates. Carriers are therefore trying to limit their capacity offers to long-term agreements, and using peak season surcharges in order to close the gap. This trend will continue until structurally, the supply exceeds demand, and load factors from Asia start to decrease.
Alpahaliner pointed out that, as vessels larger than 4,000 teu are becoming increasingly scarcer, the number forward fixtures of larger ships due to be delivered later this year or next has increased sharply.
The analyst wrote: “This may seem surprising at first glance, given that the current demand boom is largely driven by short-term influences such as Cape of Good Hope divertions and an early peak season for cargo.”
It explained that the carrier expected that Suez routes would not be re-introduced anytime soon.
It added: “Higher-than-expected cargo volumes, on the back of a global economy performing better than expected, despite the numerous geopolitical challenges, can also explain a certain confidence from carriers.”