- The Asia and Indian Subcontinent market has remained strong throughout Q2 with high container shipping demand and surprisingly high volumes. This bucks the trend for the quarter which usually experiences lower demand than Q1. The Shanghai Containerised Freight Index has continued an upward trajectory reflecting the positivity of the market.
- The new shipping alliances which began integrating during Q1 have now embedded however Q2 saw schedule disruptions and blank sailings as a result. These disruptions have now stabilised.
- The first direct rail route between China and the UK completed its return leg in April. And while we are yet to see a significant cost or time benefit for the new route to market, we continue to monitor and assess the viability of the service as it stands today and more importantly the future plans.
In Quarter 3 we expect a buoyant market due to increased imports for Christmas. We anticipate that freight rate levels to continue to rise to reflect the increased demand.
We will keep you updated as the year progresses on any industry news.
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