The container charter market remains stable with strong demand and tonnage, defying the expected Lunar New Year slowdown, reports Lloyd's List.
The container charter market remains stable, with demand and tonnage largely in balance, reported London's Lloyd's List. Brokers noted that there is little sign of the seasonal Lunar New Year slowdown.
Rates for 1,100 TEU feeder vessels are particularly strong, supported by demand across Europe, the Caribbean, and West Africa. The Hamburg and Bremen Shipbrokers' Association stated that year-on-year growth highlights their structural role in constrained logistics networks.
Sub-1,800 TEU tonnage continues to show resilience, with congestion at smaller ports and regulatory costs under the emissions trading system sustaining demand. The 1,800 TEU class is also in high demand, especially for ships with elevated reefer capacity.
Charter rates for 2,500-TEU and 2,700-TEU vessels are broadly stable, though slightly softer due to newbuilding inflows. VHBS reported that rerouting pressures and regional trade resilience have muted the impact, with rates still well above pre-2023 levels.
Shipbroker Braemar reported strong activity in the sub-panamax segment between 2,000 and 3,000 TEU. Cosco extended five modern 2,400-TEU vessels for 30 to 34 months at about US$25,000 per day, while CMA CGM extended two sister ships for longer periods.
Maersk extended two older 2,500-TEU vessels, the SPIL Nisaka and SPIL Niken, for 18 to 20 months at $26,000 per day. In the feeder segment, Panasia extended the 1,718-TEU Green Horizon at $22,500 per day, while Unifeeder fixed the 974 TEU Pavo J for one year at €4,200 ($16,900) daily.
