News / As liftings fall, ocean carriers still earning more bucks with less bang

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Port congestion and other network disruptions mean ocean carriers now need more ships to transport the same amount of cargo than they did pre-pandemic.

However, despite the significant extra costs of the additional tonnage, net earnings for shipping lines continue to be turbo-charged by soaring freight rates, a consequence of tight supply and demand growth.

A survey of carrier cargo liftings in the first quarter by Alphaliner shows volumes took a surprise dip after the surge of the second half of last ...