Reefer container shipment pace proceed to outperform the ironic cargo trade , despite an unprecedented contraction in reefer seaborne trade last year , and this variance is calculate to continue over the next few years , according to Drewry ’s lately published Reefer Shipping Annual Review and Forecast report . The normalization of the reefer craft and resultant consignment charge per unit correction has proved more gradual than for wider container cargo ships , and reefer cargo need has been steadily recovering since the start of the yr , prove the resiliency of the trade .

Drewry estimates that total worldwide seaborne reefer cargo decline to 137.5 million t last year , comprise a fall of almost 1 % , the first time in over 20 years and compared to flatlining trade for ironical cargo . Supply chain flutter , rise stimulant costs , and standardization in perishable cargo demand after the peak of 2021 all contribute to the declination . cardinal reefer good such as meat , bananas , and overbold vegetables all take a striking in 2022 as a issue .

Containerized reefer trade sign 0.7 % in 2022 , as the continue decline in specialized reefer ship carryings cushioned the blow of unaccented cargo demand and generally matched the declivity in overall containerized liftings in the year .

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Despite such hard knocks , reefer shipping barter is recover through 2023 , supported by steady need from a growing reality population and the recovery of Asian economies , particularly the reopening of China . These positive developments have driven a tax return to class - on - year growth on every key reefer - intensive trade route so far this yr , with seaborne intensity contrive to come up 1.5 % by the destruction of the yr . However , containerized reefer trade is forecast to expand at 2.3 % , fast outpacing flatlining all-inclusive container shipping cargo demand .

Reefer container freight rate have been decline since their crest of 3Q22 but at a more mensurable pace than for ironical freight . This is because the reefer ’s acme was less pronounced due to the greater prevalence of annual declaration , while the inviolable resiliency of the less overtonnaged North - South barter road , on which the majority of reefer payload moves , has also helped . Drewry ’s Global Reefer Container Freight Rate Index , a weighted norm of pricing across the top 15 spliff - intensive deep sea trades , declined 22 % to $ 4,840 per 40 ft in the class to 2Q23 . And initial indication show that the fall will have accelerated to 31 % by the third fourth part . But despite such corrections , reefer container freight rate rest some 60 % above pre - pandemic levels , while price for wry cargo has reached parity .

For more information : drewry.co.uk