News / North Europe’s feeder operators facing a perfect storm as costs rise and rates fall

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The perfect storm of rock bottom freight rates and increasing operating costs brewing for Asia-North Europe ocean carriers also looks likely to engulf the feeder operators plying the North Sea, Irish Sea and Baltic routes.

The fundamentals impacting the mainline carriers – rising charter hire rates and bunker prices and a relentless squeeze on freight rates – are also impacting the results of feeder companies where margins are traditionally very thin.

Added to this toxic mix is that Russian trade is down ...