The combined capacity of the liners controlling more than 1% of the global liner fleet grew by 10.3% last year, according to Alphaliner.
And, despite the carriers’ relentless search for more tonnage in 2024, market demand remains strong, and the threat of overcapacity still hasn’t surfaced, reflected in low vessel idling and charter availability.
Alpahaliner noted that the charter market was short on tonnage above 3,000 teu, with vessels of 5,500 teu and above “especially limited until the summer”.
This low availability of vessels, it warned, had the potential to create further rises in charter rates.
It also noted that the commercially idle containership fleet ended the year “with a downtick” from what was already a low number. And over the past fortnight, Alphaliner again recorded “a reduction in carrier-controlled vessel idling”. In its latest survey, on 30 December, it recorded 58 ships, or 173,930 teu, as commercially idle.
It reported: “At only 0.6% of the total cellular fleet, the liner sector can still be considered ‘fully employed’, and there is zero structural idling.”
Read more in an article from The Loadstar.