SIMIC

Container equipment at China's export hubs are expected to decline sharply in the middle of April and well into May.

This will mostly apply to FEUs, which account for 75 per cent of boxes on the major east-west trades.

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd outlined their equipment concerns in separate press briefings this week, citing the knock-on effects of the Suez blockage.

"With five to 11 days' delay at ports in Asia, there will also be delays in equipment, particularly 40-foot containers," said Asia Pacific liner head James Wroe.

"The impact of this will begin in April in Shanghai, starting with containers for pickup in the week of April 12. From April 19 through to the beginning of May will see the largest impact when empty containers coming back to Asia are delayed, and import returns are lower," said Mr Wroe.

Hapag-Lloyd CEO Rolf Habben Jansen also declared that shippers should expect the availability of containers in Asia to be tight for another six to eight weeks.

"Equipment remains tied up on ships waiting outside ports and from extended dwell and transit times on the land side," said Mr Jansen, adding that Hapag-Lloyd has made significant investment in new containers, with an additional 300,000 TEU joining the fleet over the past year.