PUBLISHER: The Load Star (www.theloadstar.com)
Volume shippers offered new long-term fixed-rate contracts by container lines are, nevertheless, still keen to keep a foot in the door of the spot market.
The extreme volatility of the spot market saw many shippers get their fingers badly burned over the past 18 months as rates were turbocharged by supply constraints and strong consumer demand.
But if port congestion eases and demand softens, short-term market rates could head south again quite quickly.
The advent of multi-year deals by carriers is a new facet of the contract season that has shippers re-examining their strategies more closely.
Miles O’Donnell, national sales & procurement manager for seafreight at Europa Air & Sea, said shippers needed to decide whether to “stick or twist” on playing the spot market or agreeing a contract fix at substantially increased terms.