Despite the current overcapacity of tonnage and disastrous shipping rates, the world containership fleet is expected to continue its rapid growth curve, albeit at a slightly reduced rate, as deliveries are taken from shipyards and new shipbuilding orders start to pick up later this year. That is the conclusion of the Shipbuilding Market Forecast for Container and Roll-On Roll-Off (Ro-Ro) Ships released this month by Lloyd’s Register – Fairplay (LRF) Research.
By any measure, the current picture for containership operators is grim, caused by the severe imbalance in supply and demand under the sluggish economic conditions worldwide. Spot rates of as low as $250 to move a container from Hong Kong to Rotterdam are being quoted by some lines. That compares with $1,400 a year ago.