The Captain has noticed that demand on the westbound Asia-Europe trade had increased recently. In fact, recent figures have shown a large increase of lcl cargo in the run up to Christmas. Particularly freight collect cargo, as customers secure more transparent and superior rates in the UK and Ireland. They must have been using the FREIGHTcalculator! The original and still the best!
One of the main reasons is companies trying to re-stock warehouses before the rates increase too much. Consolidation cargo is also on the rise, as importers are purchasing more frequently by LCL instead of shipping in bulk by container. They want to import their containers and LCL cargo while the rates are still relatively low compared to the highs two years ago. The European Liner Affairs Association figures show that in August westbound monthly volumes surpassed the 1m teu mark in August for only the second time this year. However, volumes were still 11% down year-on-year.
