Container rates made a small amount of forward progress in July, helping the chances of a recovery in profits for the container-lines in the third quarter. A 1% rise in rates for the month on average more-or-less kept pace with a 2% rise in bunker fuel prices and reversed a 5% sequential decline seen in the second quarter. The improvement was seen most starkly in rates to Europe which rose 3% sequentially in July on average vs. a 7% slide in 2Q. The container-lines will likely continue to try and raise rates as the peak shipping season gets underway, though the widening China-U.S. tariff...