DCN October Edition 2019

LINER TRADES TO THE AMERICAS
The liner trades between Australia/
New Zealand and North America seem
to be in something of a purple patch.
But can it last? Dale Crisp reports.
Volumes are good, service glitches have (mostly) been ironed
out and the United States’ dreaded trade wars are having little
impact. But how good is the ANZ-North America trade?
According to Container Trade Statistics’ figures, the first
quarter of 2019 saw exports from Australasia to North America
grow a not-insubstantial 6.1%, from 113,900 TEU in the first half of
2018 to 120,800 TEU. 2017’s first half sat at 113,800 TEU.
On the other hand, imports to Australasia from North America
grew by 1.1% in the first half of calendar 2019, reaching 162,300
TEU. This compares to 160,600 TEU in first half of 2018 but still
lags well behind first-half 2017’s 164,900 TEU, CTS reported.
Notwithstanding the modest growth, the Australasian southbound
trade from North America has now slipped behind that with sub-
Saharan Africa, according to CTS.
CTS’s view of freight rates suggests southbound levels rose around
5% (from baseline) in April this year, only to fall back some 3% the
following month. Northbound, CTS reports all-in rates were around
4.5% up in April and May 2019, year-on-year, and 7.5% in June – but
while this seems like positive news, carriers are underwhelmed:
“No-one’s made their fortune on a 5% increase,” one says.
Looking back to 2018, CTS reported a 4.3% fall in the North
America-Australasia southbound trade to 336,800 TEU (2017:
352,100 TEU; 2016: 367,300 TEU) while in the opposite direction
Baronb; M. Schuppich; J. Helgason;
Valentyn Volkov; S3M Limited; Alaettin
YILDIRIM; Alex Staroseltsev; Photobeps
24 October 2019
thedcn.com.au