Supply Chain Research

The Asian container-line reporting season started with K-Line reporting the worst results of the three Japanese shippers. While its revenues increased 1% on a year earlier, analysts had expected a stronger recovery in the container operations which just increased 2%. Mitsui OSK by contrast saw its container revenues increased 13%. As a result K-Line missed analyst estimates by 3%, and Mitsui-OSK did 6% better. Orient Overseas also reported, and notably saw Asia-Europe rates drop 3% in the first quarter on the fourth, compared to a global rise in rates of 7%. Taken together container-line...