News / Wan Hai reconsidering Asia-Europe trades as smaller box ships prove their worth

© Khunaspix Dreamstime.

Smaller containerships uneconomic a year ago are now back in vogue, due to sky-rocketing freight rates across multiple trades.

And with the unit cost barriers on the major tradelanes dismantled and service levels from established container lines at all-time lows, there are opportunities for niche carriers to break the stranglehold of the alliances.

One such is Taiwanese ocean carrier Wan Hai, which has ordered more containerships in the last six months than any other carrier or non-operating owner (NOO), many  of 3,000 ...