News / 'Something has to give', says Drewry, as container terminal operators face a 'critical turning point'

Global container port operators have been warned they face diminishing returns and reduced profitability as a result of the deployment of larger vessels by bigger alliances, combined with stagnating volumes.

Drewry Maritime Advisors said yesterday that while container port volumes increased by an average of 11% in successive years, as Chinese containerised exports poured out to foreign markets, since 2009 that growth had reduced to around 5% a year and could decline further as growth in the Chinese economy stalls.

Global port container ...