Demand Keeps Flat and Rate Slides

　　China Export box transport sees demand stable in overall, container alliances are adjusting their routes, leading freight rate too weak to grow and the comprehensive index slip. On April 7, Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) issued by Shanghai Shipping Exchange (SSE) quotes 809.27 points, down by 2.5% from one week ago.

　　The European economy is weak overall. Three big alliances has been put into operation since from this month, cargo owners hold stand-by attitude towards the post market, and most box liners reduce freight rate in order to sustain their market shares, which results in spot rate slip somehow. The average slot utilization rate leaving off Shanghai Port stood around 90%. On April 7, fright rates in the routes from Shanghai to Europe and Mediterranean routes (covering seaborne surcharges) quote USD836/TEU and USD817美元/TEU, down by 0.2 % and 2.4 % from one week ago respectively.

　　Domestic demand growth is slowed in the U.S., where import trade volume shrinks, which hits the transport demand in the North America. The average slot utilization rates in the USWC and USEC routes sustain around 95%, but as for the insufficient cargo volume, box liners are cautious on the post market, leading spot rate slides in general. Both freight rates in the USWC and USEC slip under depress. On April 7, freight rates in the routes from Shanghai to USWC and USEC (covering seaborne surcharges) quote USD1375/FEU and USD2436/FEU, falling by 7% and 5% from one week ago respectively.

　　In the Persian Gulf route, owing to the vessel capacity limitation for five consecutive weeks, demand/supply condition has improvement. The average slot utilization rate slides to around 90%. On April 7, freight rate in the Shanghai-Persian Gulf route (covering seaborne surcharges) quotes USD890/TEU, a week-by-week slip of 1.8%.

　　Transport demand is flat in the Australia/New Zealand route, where demand/supply condition has no remarkable improvement and the average slot utilization rate keeps between 80%-90%. Worrying about the post market, box liners are cautious on the implementation of freight rate increase plan, leading spot rate arising narrowly. On April 7, freight rate in the Shanghai-Australia/New Zealand route (covering seaborne surcharges) quotes USD441/TEU, down by 1.6% comparing with that last week.

　　In the South America route, the average slot utilization rate leaving off Shanghai Port sustains around 85%, with spot rate slides depressively. On April 7, freight rate in the Shanghai-South America route (covering seaborne surcharges) quotes USD2247/TEU, a slip of 3.6% against one week ago.

　　Caro volume has a flat performance in the Japan route, where spot rate keeps stable. On April 7, freight rate in the China-Japan route quotes USD 657.30/TEU, almost in line with that last week.