Comment / China outsourcing China: the biggest threat to box lines

ID 106458486 © Prathan Keawkhum | Dreamstime.com

Shipping lines have been casually pulling their old stunt of artificially cutting capacity in an effort to lift their plunging rates.

Who cares, really?

Global macroeconomic softness as well as China’s own outsourcing strategy indicate that, despite sea freight industry consensus for a likely bullish H2 23, under normalised post-Covid conditions, any truly upbeat scenario may well be wishful thinking. It’s tricky out there, although the sell-side analysts often talk up the re-stocking fillip as possibly being around the corner.

The chickens have ...