Data from Container xChange, a platform that tracks the flow of containers around the world, shows that nowadays, containers are flooding into major European ports, faster than containers leaving European ports.
In India, the new center of the global epidemic, the spread of the mutant virus has also put pressure on the global circulation of containers.
Container xChange CEO Johannes Schlingmeier reminded that the epidemic in India will hardly get better in a short time. Adding to the postponement effect of the Suez Canal congestion, global demand is still at a high level, and container prices will hardly fall back.
The “Container Availability Index” (CAx) developed by Container xChange shows that the three major European ports-Rotterdam, Antwerp, and Hamburg in Germany are witnessing an influx of containers.
The three major ports that received 20-foot dry cargo containers in the 17th week of this year increased by more than 3% from the previous week. Among them, the port of Rotterdam received the largest number of 20-foot dry cargo containers. Compared with the previous week (week 16 of 2021), CAx increased by 3.75%; CAx at the Port of Antwerp increased by 3.5%; Port of Hamburg increased by 2.2%.
According to the definition of Container xChange, the CAx index can quantify the availability of containers in major ports around the world. When CAx exceeds 0.5, it indicates that the port has surplus container equipment, that is, the departure speed of containers is not as fast as the arrival speed, which leads to the accumulation of containers at the port; and when CAx is less than 0.5, it indicates that the container is in a state of shortage.
CAx shows that since March, the container throughput of the three major European ports has been greater than that of the same period in previous years, and they have all tended to be saturated.
Schlingemeier said, “The major container terminals in Europe have been working hard to avoid congestion, but the fact is that for most of 2021, the number of inbound containers exceeds the number of outbound containers. Under this status quo, The congestion of the Suez Canal has exacerbated the congestion in European ports.
A shipping industry source said that with the repeated epidemics in Europe and the United States, the surge in traffic from Asia to Europe will continue until the third quarter of this year. Congestion in European and American ports will continue to be the main bottleneck in the supply chain, and container prices will continue to rise.
Post time: May-24-2021