13 Nov Visit our New COVID-19 Tracker

COVID-19 Updates

• The biggest current impact of COVID-19 is on space and container availability throughout the world.
• Due to reduced volumes, resulting from the fast-spreading Coronavirus and a corresponding collapse in demand throughout numerous key markets, the ocean carriers have reacted by pulling out capacity in the form of additional blanks sailing and by eliminating complete strings, reducing total capacity by 50%+ in some large volume trades. These reduced capacities have resulted in an upheaval of traditional container positioning patterns, and we are seeing several shortages of equipment and space to accommodate the still robust trades, such as Europe to the Far East.
• It is very difficult to predict how these patterns will develop over the next few weeks and months, as several countries have stopped all commercial containers coming in and out of the country during these extended lockdown periods. We expect carriers to apply Equipment Repositioning Charges/Fees and Peak Season Surcharges were commercially feasible during Q2 2020 and beyond.