SIMIC

The Asia-US west coast component of the Freightos Baltic Index (FBX) edged up 1.5 per cent week on week last Friday to reach a new high of US$5,627 per FEU, compared to the rate of $1,669 per FEU at the same point last year.

On the all-water Asia-US east coast trade, the FBX reading stood at $7,674 per FEU, a week-on-week increase of 4 per cent, while the rate last year stood at $2,604 per FEU.

There seems little chance that price levels will ease anytime soon, as there is no sign of demand diminishing, there are still too few vessels available for employment and congestion remains a constant feature in many North American ports.

Judah Levine, research lead at Freightos, noted that, even if consumer demand in North America fell, especially if the hospitality sector were able to reopen as the vaccination programme is rolled out, US retail inventory levels are so low that the import demand boom would march on regardless.

"The sustained demand driving these rates, overwhelming carriers, means even some containers booked on recently signed and highly elevated annual contracts are being rolled, and that storage space for finished goods waiting to be shipped is becoming scarce," he said.

"And though US retailers are spending more than in 2019, items continue to fly off the shelves, keeping inventory levels at record lows. This means businesses may still struggle to avoid stockouts come the holiday season.

The Asia-North Europe trade saw rates climb 6.5 per cent on the week ending Friday, to $8,839 per FEU, nearly five times higher than at this point last year.

However, Europe's shippers on other trades might finally have begun to see rates at least plateau: the Asia-Mediterranean route saw its FBX rate decline 1.6 per cent, to $9,237 per FEU (which stood at $1,965 last year); the transatlantic rate declined 0.8 per cent, to $4,270 per FEU; and the Europe-east coast South America rate dropped 2.7 per cent, to $2,055, compared with $913 at this point last year.

However, costs continue to rise for transporting boxes around Europe after they been processed through gateway terminals. Several carriers have recently levied inland transport surcharges from key hubs.

And CMA CGM announced last week it would apply a $300 per 40ft peak season surcharge (PSS) on its north European and Baltic feeder and shortsea services, and a $600 PSS on intra-Mediterranean and North Europe-Mediterranean services, beginning June 1, "considering current steady volumes amplified with substantially increased costs".