Supply Chain Research

Container-line operators have seen a decline in average rates for shipping out of China for a fourth straight week. On average rates are now 1.4% below their recent peaks after a 4.3% drop in rates for China-U.S. west coast services and a 5.9% decline for China-U.S. east coast. That likely reflects a reduced urgency for shippers seeking to beat tariff increases after the latter were delayed to Mar. 1 from Jan. 1. The decline in rates has been more than offset by the slump in bunker fuel costs caused by the drop in oil prices recently. The container liners’ fuel costs are therefore at the...