Despite uncertainty caused by a record orderbook for new vessels, together with rising oil prices, the liner container ship market shows no sign of slowing down. Charter rates, and indeed those for freight, look likely to remain firm at least until the end of 2005. According to John Fossey of Drewry Shipping Consultants: "Key to the boom has been trade to/from China, with containerised imports and exports reaching year-on-year records. "In particular, this has benefited the trans-Pacific and Asia/Europe trades, with two-way traffic volumes projected to rise by 13.8% and 16.5%, respectively, for 2004," he explains.
展开▼
