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© Liorpt |

The sense of genuine anger amongst North European shippers and freight forwarders was palpable this week as they struggled to digest rapidly escalating spot freight rates.

The ascent steepened over recent weeks, with Drewry’s WCI Shanghai-Rotterdam leg rising 20% week-on-week to finish at $4,999 per 40ft.

However, sources told The Loadstar that slots were being purchased at much higher levels.

“Real terms rates for spot are in the $6,000-$7,500 mark, with carriers saying they will hit $10,000.”

Tight vessel supply is continuing to combine ...

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  • Andrew Faulkner

    May 27, 2024 at 8:11 pm

    All we are missing is Maersk line telling freight forwarders that they don’t want their business and the Deja vu will be complete

  • Grzegorz Sulima

    May 29, 2024 at 2:59 pm

    Interesting how exactly the opposite is true when overcapacity hit the markets. Time is a flat circle indeed.

    • Gavin van Marle

      May 29, 2024 at 8:01 pm

      Are we referring to Schopenhauer and the futility of life, or Nietzsche and eternal recurrence? It’s an important distinction!