Sea freight monthly review: May 2019
- Published on 25/06/2019 - Published by BRIGHT Richard
- Free
Informations
- Product(s) : Sea freight
- Rubrique / Thématique : Review and Forecasts
- Country : World
- Keywords : Logistics , Transport
The pattern established in April continued into May for both the large and small segments. Although there were several spot banana fixtures, the Ecuadorian exit price was never low enough and pricing in the Mediterranean markets was never strong enough for the charter market to build momentum. Until or unless the structure of the Med banana business changes or there is a shortage of reefer containers, reefer operators will remain frustrated.
Towards the end of the month, the market for the small vessels tightened considerably, led by strong demand for fish cargoes from Mauretania to West Africa. The small segment typically dominates spot chartering interest between mid April and late July: after the Chilean season, large units assimilate into the New Zealand kiwifruit and South African citrus seasons, which tend to be more heavily programmed.
The exception is Argentina, where Baltic Shipping/Cool Carriers secured the seasonal All Lemon definitely 5, possibly 7-voyage citrus charter from the Port of Campana to the Med once again. There was a US$6 per pallet increase on the US$145 agreed last year and a fixed BAF over the season.
There was some good news for the specialized reefer mode from the west coast of South America when Valparaiso terminal operator Terminal Pacífico Sur (TPS) revealed it had received a steep rise in the number of reefer vessels loading fruit this season. TPS said the volume of fruit shipped in reefer vessels this season increased 38% over last year.
In detail, between December 2018 and April 2019, TPS handled 50 specialised reefer vessels with a total volume throughput of 206,634 tonnes. This figure compares to 150,079 tonnes in the same period of the previous season. According to data provided by TPS, the most transported fruit types in these vessels were grapes, with 163,005 tonnes (46% more than the previous season). Grapes were followed by plums, with 18,787 tonnes (139% more than the previous season), nectarines with 7,091 tonnes, and blueberries, with 5,398 tonnes. Reefer vessels also loaded early grapes out of the ports of Coquimbo and Caldera.
