Easing container congestion and the summer “doldrums” have sent MPV rates drifting downward, but carriers expect energy-related demand and tight capacity to keep the sector healthy in the long term.
Janet Nodar
Janet Nodar
Janet Nodar is Senior Editor for Project and Heavy-Lift at the JOC, covering breakbulk, project and heavy-lift transport. She is based on the U.S. Gulf coast. She was a reporter and editor for the Journal of Commerce's Gulf Shipper and Breakbulk publications from 2006-2013. From 2013-2018 she was Content Director with Breakbulk Events & Media. She holds degrees in finance and English.
More from Janet Nodar
Congestion and unreliable service from liner carriers is driving some cold chain shippers back to the conventional reefer fleet
The transport of crucial project cargo bound for power generation facilities and renewable energy projects in the US could be stymied by a possible rail strike.
Legislation now under consideration by a Senate committee could put the kibosh on the Biden administration’s ambitious plans to install 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030.
SAL joins competitors AAL and UHL with firm orders for multipurpose newbuild vessels, even as charter rates soften a bit from their current high levels.
Uncertainty and congestion are undermining market confidence, but MPV rates are expected to stay well above pre-pandemic levels, according to breakbulk analysts.
The breakbulk industry’s scramble to manage spillover cargo is ebbing as shippers' need for alternative tonnage eases, but that does not necessarily mean a rush back to pre-COVID norms.
Old-fashioned breakbulk and supply chain skills have served shippers well in the “spillover” market, and some practices may linger after the container market normalizes.
Millions of tons of project cargo freight will be moving soon as energy projects, including Qatar’s massive LNG facility, gather steam, logistics executives say.
Softening container rates are expected to pull “spillover” cargo back from the breakbulk sector, but the just-ended COVID lockdowns in China may slow a market normalization.
The outlook for project cargo demand is bright, but tight capacity, congestion, high costs, and low schedule reliability will likely persist in the breakbulk sector.
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Aug 18, 2022 11:00AM EDT
Speakers:
Bob Andrews, Senior Vice President, CenterPoint Properties
