News / Capacity increase on transatlantic container trade is "too much, too soon"

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Hapag-Lloyd has advised that it will upgrade the three ships it deploys on its April-launched AX4 transatlantic service – which it operates outside the G6 alliance – from 2,500 teu to 3,600 teu, due to “continued strong westbound bookings”.

But is this normally robust tradelane being sucked into the overcapacity malaise afflicting most other global routes?

Drewry said yesterday that its May assessment of the North Europe-North America route now appears to have been “too bullish”, when it argued that westbound headhaul ...