Supply Chain Research

The container shipping industry saw a marked improvement in conditions in November. Average rates for shipping out of China increased by 3.4% vs. the end of October, including a 13.2% rise in rates for services to the U.S. east coast. That’s in part due to accelerated volumes as shippers tried to beat higher tariffs between the U.S. and China. Hapag-Lloyd’s latest rate rise may mean more of the same lies ahead. At the same time bunker fuel costs dropped 17.6% as a result of the collapse in oil prices. As a consequence the average gross margin for container-lines – container rate less fue...