Availability of cargo space is number one customer requirement, according to the fourth annual shipper satisfaction survey of Drewry and ESC. Container shipping lines’ ability to provide cargo space as needed showed a marginal improvement in 2019, but this gain will have been dramatically reversed by the end of the first half of 2020.
“This is a market with volatile capacity where liners remain price setters and keep freight rates high, despite very low fuel indexes, whilst they can only plan in the short term themselves. Our view is that shippers will benefit from shorter-term contracts, and either by diversifying their carriers’ selection pool or by concentrating more on financially healthier or government supported carriers,” said Godfried Smit, Secretary General of the European Shippers’ Council.
For more information, please see the Press Release.
For the results of the survey, please see the PowerPoint Presentation.