America is ready to welcome the world’s largest boxship
In a few weeks America will catch a glimpse of a boxship in excess of 20,000 teu for the first time, as drastic measures are put in place around the world to reposition containers in the wake of the coronavirus that has stifled supply chains.
Alphaliner is reporting MSC is set to redeploy the 23,756 teu MSC Mia, which currently holds the joint record as the world’s largest container vessel, as well as the 23,656 teu MSC Nela from the Asia-Europe trades onto the transpacific in services it operates with Maersk as part of the pair’s 2M vessel sharing agreement.
Alphaliner noted in its most recent weekly report that Compared to the 13,000+ teu ships normally trading on the 2M’s Transpacific services, the on spot deployment of megamaxes will allow the shipping line(s) to carry a typical service load and at least an additional 6,000 teu worth of empty containers to America.
The sailings of the MSC Mia and MSC Nela will increase the number of so called megamaxes temporarily deployed on transpacific loops to four, as the 19,224 teu MSC Oscar already calls at Los Angeles this week, while the 19,368 teu MSC Anna will be redeployed later this month.
The drastic shortage of empty boxes thanks to the coronavirus is also being keenly felt in Europe.
Lars Jensen, the well known Sea-Intelligence container shipping analyst warned that the increase of the number of people in quarantine in Europe leaves companies short-staffed slowing down all work processes. Hence even if a container is delivered to port, there is no guarantee it will be picked up, emptied and redelivered in a timely manner.
He is also saying that effect in Europe over the coming weeks will be a slow-down in the turn-around speed of containers. This means a slow-down in the repositioning of containers to Asia – and this will increase the possibility of a container shortages in Asia when volumes will pick up.
We believe that container so called “crisis” is slowing down as Chinese exports are picking up again. As Jensen is saying also, the volumes might even peak in April, as European and US importers will sooner or later have to replenish their stocks of products made in China.
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