name   천일그룹  tel   02-3144-1001
date   2022-02-04 E-mail

  webmaster@chunilgroup.com
title   Freight Rates from North Europe to US East Coast I


Spread between short- and long-term container shipping freight rates
from North Europe to U.S. East Coast narrow with both increasing
around three-fold.

Rates from North Europe to the U.S. East Coast have increased
dramatically over the past year, similar to any other main trade
lane. With disruptions hitting container shipping globally, the non-
major trade lanes have also experienced reverse cascading - ships
heading back to main trades, thereby reducing capacity on the smaller
ones.

Rates on the westbound trans-Atlantic trade lane have come down a
little from their peak in mid-November 2021, when they rose above
$6,700 per FEU for the first time. As of January end, they stand at
$6,600.

At the start of last year, the short- and long-term rates both stood
at around $2,000 per FEU. Over the year, the spread increased,
reaching its highest point in July at just over $2,500. Since then,
the long-term rates have followed the spot market upwards, with the
spread as of the January end standing at $800 with long-term rates
from contracts signed in the past three months averaging $5,800 per
FEU.

On the backhaul of this trade from the U.S. East Coast to North
America, freight rates have been much more stable, with short-term
rates of $780 per FEU and long-term rates about $100 more expensive.
Both rates are less than $200, more expensive than at the start of
2021. This is a clear indication that this is a backhaul trade that
has also been hit by the slow manufacturing recovery in the U.S.

Along with freight rates, the Xeneta platform also offers insight
into schedule reliability and capacity on major trades. Of the ships
arriving at the U.S. East Coast from North Europe, only 23% arrived
on scheduled time in November and December 2021, a drop from 40% at
the same time in 2020. In that period, the best performing carrier
was Eimskip, also the only carrier to achieve schedule reliability of
above 50%.

On average, in the next three months, 83,000 TEU of capacity will be
available on this trade, with only three blank sailings announced on
this trade in this period. Carriers are working hard to catch up on
delays and ensure as much capacity as possible is available at the
load ports, even as ships are stuck waiting mainly outside import
ports and spending longer time at berths due to delays on land.

Until these problems are cleared, freight rates will remain very high
- on this trade as well as globally, even if they continue the slight
softening we have seen in recent months.