News / How box lines can break free of the 'boom-and-bust treadmill' to stay profitable

© Khunaspix Dreamstime.

Ocean carriers are enjoying a bull run of profitability, thanks to demand spikes and inflated freight rates, and now there is a unique opportunity for them to break out of the boom-and-bust industry cycle.

According to consultant AlixPartners’ 2021 Container Shipping Outlook, “the fundamentals that would support a breakaway from that cycle are in place”, adding: “Long the sick man of the transport ecosystem, the container shipping industry stands on the brink of a new era of sustainable profitability.”

But, it adds: “Just ...