Supply Chain Research

Container shipping rates improved during the second quarter, but that may do little to help the reported profitability of the container-lines. A 6% increase in China-outbound rates at the end of the second quarter from the beginning was the result of a series of aggressive, “emergency” rate rises by the liners that were kicked-off by MSC in mid-May. Yet average rates for the quarter fell 6% on a year earlier. Intra-asia rates did best (in part due to strong trade activity) while Transpacific routes were largely unchanged. The latter routes face the threat of a U.S.-China trade tariff bat...