News / Carriers struggle as they pull capacity to boost floundering spot rates

© José Lledó

Container spot indices are showing a sea of red ink this week, with short-term freight rates down on all the major tradelanes.

Ocean carriers are being forced to cancel sailings with little or no notice from Asia, as demand weakens dramatically ahead of China’s Golden Week holiday in the first week of October.

Elsewhere, on the troubled transatlantic route, carriers are sliding advertised sailings from North Europe to the US east coast into the following week, in order to improve vessel load ...