4.3 percent container growth possible this year - Drewry

Drewry’s latest Container Forecaster report says 4.3% global container growth is possible this year.

After total carrier losses of over $6 billion in 2011 and bad first quarter this year, the forecast analyzes that the carriers could be profitable in the tune of $1.8 billion profit or a loss of $1.3 billion.

The forecast also mentions that shippers will pay more for transportation in 2013 overall.

“Responsible commercial pricing will eventually help to iron out the huge volatility we have seen since 2008, creating a more stable service platform as carriers will be less likely to pull services quickly when they become unprofitable. The rhetoric coming from the new boss of Maersk in Copenhagen is that the company is concentrating on profit now – this does bode very well for the industry,” Neil Dekker, head of Drewry container research explained.

The report also advises the industry to refrain from ordering new ships until 2013 end to enable a return to a more normal supply-demand balance in the medium term.

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