Who says “size is not important?” It must be – or container ship owners would stop building even bigger ones…
ISO standards for containers revolutionized world trade in the early 1970’s. The world’s largest container ship can now carry more than 18000 TEU, maybe more!
The list of the top 100 container ships is impressive. All of them are over 360 meters long (1200 feet) and the list of 150.000 ton ships is growing fast. Surprisingly, 90% of the top 100 were built within the last 5 years.
The cost to build, operate and maintain them is huge, so basic economics mean it’s essential to keep them moving and full!
So despite capacity growth, real rates are flat on many lanes. But there are notable exceptions on some key routes, so it’s probably a good time to benchmark your rates…
Best Regards
The Polygon Team
