China’s two busiest container ports, Shanghai and Ningbo-Zhoushan, are making efforts to secure containers as the well-documented shortage continues post Chinese New Year.
[s2If is_user_logged_in()]The ports are offering incentives to liner operators returning more empty containers to Shanghai from overseas ports. The slow return of empty containers from North America to Asia precipitated the rate spike as it resulted in insufficient boxes for other trades.
In addition, Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG), which oversees many of Shanghai’s terminals, opened an empty container procurement and operation centre on Yangshan Island and a similar facility within Shanghai Port is scheduled to start operations later this year.
On 12 February, the 21,237TEU COSCO Shipping Star arrived in Yangshan port, delivering 13,000 empty containers. In the second half of last year, 220,000TEU in empty containers were returned to Shanghai Port.
SIPG said, “By easing the container rotation problem at overseas ports, it has helped normalise sea freight rates and lowered the cost burden of international trade companies.”
Since 2020, SIPG has supplied 10,000TEU of new containers produced by container manufacturers in northern Zhejiang Province to Shanghai Port. In January, Shanghai and Zhejiang Province co-operated to send about 2,100TEU to Shanghai.
Shanghai’s neighbour, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, has been making similar efforts.
On 29 January, CMA CGM’s 17,292TEU APL Vanda arrived at the port’s Meishan Island International Container Terminal, delivering 6,100 empty containers that were collected from the ports of Rotterdam, La Havre, Antwerp and Port Klang.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent
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