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CONTAINER
cargo volumes from Europe to the east coast
of South America (ECSA) fell nine per cent
between August and September to 74,114 TEU,
yet volume in the third quarter was still
six per cent higher than the previous quarter.
On the other hand, box volumes on
transatlantic trade increased in both directions
in October while freight rates struggled
to reach levels in the same period 2012.
Imports
from northern Europe from August-September
decreased five per cent to 54,000 TEU, while
imports from the Mediterranean dropped 18
per cent year on year to 20,500 TEU, says
Drewry using Datamar figures.
Year-to-date,
total container volume grew six per cent
compared to the first nine months of last
year, taking the southbound total to 668,000
TEU. Imports from northern Europe were up
eight per cent to 471,000 TEU, while imports
from the Mediterranean increased two per
cent to 197,000 TEU.
Exports
from ECSA to Europe also fell five per cent
between August and September, down to 68,462
TEU. Traffic to northern Europe rose 1.4
per cent to 48,000 TEU, but container cargo
to the Mediterranean plummeted 17.4 per
cent to 20,724 TEU.
This
means that third quarter 2013 northbound
traffic was only 1.4 per cent higher than
the previous quarter, with exports to northern
Europe growing 0.6 per cent to 137,200 TEU,
while those to the Mediterranean increased
three per cent up to 67,200 TEU.
During
the first nine months of the year total
exports out of ECSA decreased by almost
six per cent year on year to 589,400 TEU.
Traffic to northern Europe dropped 5.7 per
cent to 396,500 TEU, while volume to the
Med fell 6.4 per cent to 193,000 TEU.
Reefer
cargo, an important component of ECSA's
exports to Europe, fell by 4.6 per cent
in the first three quarters compared to
the same period a year earlier to 227,000
TEU.
In
spite of the six per cent rise in southbound
cargo between the second and third quarter,
ocean liners made few changes to their schedules
after July 1 2013. The number of services
remained the same, only port rotations were
amended, and vessels upgraded.
Average
vessel size between July and November increased
from 6,422 TEU to 6,590 TEU. Overall annualised
southbound vessel capacity rose by 4.5 per
cent to 1,653,000 TEU. Northbound capacity
was up by 11 per cent to 1,165,000 TEU.
Drewry
concludes that "having seen what happened
when supply and demand in the Asia/ECSA
trade lane got hopelessly out of balance
between April and October, ocean carriers
will be reluctant to rock the boat any further
between Europe/ECSA," adding that vessel
sharing will remain popular.
But
growth was seen in the trade between Europe
and North America. The total container volumes
from Europe to North America increased 2.6
per cent to 308,900 TEU in October and were
up 2.3 per cent to three million TEU in
the first 10 months of the year.
Container
volumes from the Mediterranean to the US
were up year on year. Figures for transit
from the Med to Mexico and Canada were unavailable
due to reporting restrictions. US to the
Mediterranean in the period January to October
beat off last year's figures while freight
rates remained below 2012 in both directions.
Volumes
increased from North America to Europe at
6.8 per cent increase to 227,800 TEU and
total volume for the year so far was up
2.2 per cent to 2.2 million TEU.
Northern
Europe to Canada and the US saw a decrease
during this 10-month period against higher
volumes to Mexico, according to latest figures
from Container Trades Statistics.
Canada
and Mexico's volumes to northern Europe
were ahead of 2012 in the same 10-month
period compared to US container volumes.
The
North America-Europe price index stood at
95 in October compared to same month 2012
when it registered 99, based on 100 being
the average 2008 quarterly, reported Lloyd's
List. The index has been behind 2012's level
month on month during this year.
From
Europe-North America, the index decreased
further to 89 from 92 in the same month
of 2012 and has remained behind last year
in eight months out of 10.
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