Ocean Freight Rate Forecast 2023 - DNA SupplyChain (2024)

Our topic for today is Ocean Freight Rate Forecast 2023. The freight market gets balanced in the shipping market cycle, has been oversupplied for several months, and will soon improve. The advice given to shippers for 2023 is to get their game plan ready for transitioning into the up cycle, the next stage of the market cycle. The world is in great turmoil on many different levels, from war to economic hardship to energy insecurity to social and political problems, all the way down to essential tasks like shipping goods around the globe.

Ocean Freight Rate Forecast 2023 Near Texas, USA

Most carriers are certain that their schedule and prices will reach pre-pandemic levels in 2023. Shippers have discovered over the past two years that many businesses are willing to pay thousands of dollars more than they were before 2020. Despite the issues in the supply chain, major players and fleet owners, including Walmart, Home Depot, Target, and others, have produced outstanding commercial outcomes since 2021. These businesses make up a significant percentage of the carriers’ capacity. Thus they are unlikely to cut rates below the levels they are willing to pay.

The fast rise of new, smaller carriers joining the market for freight forwarding services has persisted throughout the epidemic, particularly in the past year. However, it gets expected that many newbies will lose money and exit the market now that things are returning to normal and rates are beginning to decline.

Similar events occurred in 2010, following the 2008 financial crisis, when the freight sector recovered, but all these services vanished as the upward trend ended. On the other hand, owner-operators must contend with constrained spot prices, high fuel costs, and a shortage of cargo on the spot market. Some Ocean Freight Forecast 2023 are:

  • There will continue to be an oversupply of freight transportation services as long as the number of products grows between -4 and 1%.
  • As a result, carriers will assess the market and put off buying new machinery.
  • A downturn in an industrial activity that lowers freight volumes gets referred to as a trucking recession.
  • People will spend less if their credit card debt dramatically grows.
  • The need for transportation, particularly for flatbeds, relies on the market for real estate for the delivery of construction materials. There will be a decline in production, lowering the need for transportation.

Ocean Freight Rate Forecast 2023 Near Florida, USA

For the seventh month, spot dry and refrigeration freight moved at a lower average rate in the United States in August.

For the month, the spot dry Van cost decreased by 11 cents to $2.52 per mile. The reefer rate decreased by 10 cents to $2.89 per mile. According to DAT, the typical spot cost for flatbeds decreased by 24 cents to $3.05 per mile in August. It was 40 cents below the record-breaking high reached in March.

Miller believes the conflict between Russia and Ukraine will increase US power generation. Also, as Europe shifts away from Russian oil production, this will benefit US energy companies over the long term.

Another key factor is that the railway workers’ contract negotiations for a contract that ended in 2020 have yet to conclude. The Presidential Emergency Board has suggested a 22% rise over five years. However, this would affect more than just the railway industry. Because of the increase in high intermodal rates, a lot of LTL cargo gets its transportation.

We know that the LTL business has seen an increase in operating expenses over the past few years. The primary causes of the growth in expenses have been the rising prices of operators. It also includes the high fuel cost and the increasing insurance prices.

When Will Ocean Freight Rates Go Down

The shipping process is intricate. There are distinct costs for each step in the procedure. When these expenses get present, shipping firms and online retailers will eventually have to pay more for delivery. As a result, businesses charge more for shipping. Inefficient cargo ships, a global scarcity of container ships, a lack of supply of goods, and growing consumer demand are the main factors contributing to greater transportation prices. Each of these elements exerts pressure on the costs of international shipping.

In 2023, freight prices get expected to be adjusted and decrease by 30–40%. It’s wonderful news that freight charges are declining, especially for importers. It is extremely doubtful that they will return to the 2019 level.

As global commerce volumes decline due to declining consumer desire for goods, freight rates have kept declining.

Freight rates have decreased due to the easing supply chain disruptions brought on by the pandemic. The study team found that a large portion of the slowdown in demand was due to less cargo flow. Furthermore, shipping rates will continue to decline through the end of the year and into 2023.

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Ocean Freight Rate Forecast 2023 - DNA SupplyChain (2024)

FAQs

Will ocean freight rates go up in 2023? ›

In 2023, the container shipping market was marked by the return of freight rates to pre-pandemic levels on most routes. The slump in rates at the start of the year has given way to a more gradual but ongoing decline.

What is the forecast for ocean freight? ›

Rising freight rates are a new source of concern in the global supply chain with forecasts warning that ocean cargo prices could reach $20,000 — potentially even touch the Covid era peak of $30,000 — and stay there into 2025.

What is the ocean freight market forecast for 2024? ›

This marks the highest number of ships delivered in a single month and the largest addition of new capacity. New deliveries are projected to reach historically high levels in 2024 and are anticipated to decrease starting from 2025. Effective capacity remains constrained despite record new vessel deliveries.

What is the global container freight rate in 2023? ›

Freight rates slumped to their lowest level on the 26th of October 2023, when the going rate for a 40-foot container was only 1,342 U.S. dollars. Since then, the global freight rate has gradually increased, hitting over 4,200 U.S. dollars in May 2024, the highest value on record.

What is the LTL freight outlook for 2023? ›

Compared to the record-high 25.8% figure of just a year ago, the truckload index is projected to be 11.2% in Q1 2023 – an 11.6% year-over-year decline. Inflation-driven cost increases, relatively high fuel costs and shipper pricing power are expected to threaten truckload carrier profitability in 2023.

What is the outlook for the shipping industry in 2023? ›

We forecast that global container volumes will grow between 0% and 1% in 2023, and between 3% and 4% in both 2024 and 2025. Combined head-haul and regional trade volumes are expected to grow 0.5 percentage points faster than the total volumes in both 2023 and 2025 but in line with total volumes in 2024.

What is the latest Judgement for ocean freight? ›

The Bombay High Court has held that service tax is not liable to be paid on ocean freight or sea transportation services. The bench of Justice G. S. Kulkarni and Justice Firdosh P. Pooniwalla has relied on the decision of the Gujarat High Court in the case of SAL Steel Ltd.

Why are ocean freight rates so low? ›

Low container-shipping rates are typically a hallmark of a slowing economy, largely because they signal a decrease in demand for imports. Along with overcapacity across all ocean lanes, shipping companies are forced to compete for customers, thereby driving down prices.

What is the future of ocean shipping? ›

The total trade volume and the merchant fleet will see a smaller growth compared to historical trends. Although serving a growing and more prosperous population, future trade will also be impacted by the move towards more circular economies reflecting a more climate-conscious and sustainability-focused society.

What is the freight market update for January 2024? ›

FTR's latest truck loadings forecast for 2024 rose slightly from last month and is expected to decline by 0.3% instead of the 0.4% projected last month. Dry van loads will likely increase by 0.7%, supported by potential growth for food and paper loadings.

Will shipping prices go down in 2024? ›

Because of the impact of higher inflation from driver wages, fuel prices, and interest rates and their downstream effects, FreightRun expects freight rates to go higher in 2024 even if the economy slows down – stagflation is a real possibility.

What is the outlook for the shipping industry in 2024? ›

For the year 2024, it is estimated that the maritime shipping market size in dollars will be in the vicinity of US$381.69 billion; in 2029 it is expected to reach US$ 471.81 billion, being, the fastest-growing market: Asia Pacific. The global container fleet has grown in size to meet this demand.

What are current freight rates? ›

Here are the current rates for the most popular freight truck types:
  • Overall average van rates vary from $2.30 – 2.86 per mile.
  • Reefer rates are averaging $3.19 per mile, with the lowest rates being the Northeast at $2.47 per mile.
  • Average flatbed rates average $3.14 per mile.

What is the forecast for container shipping? ›

The container ship fleet is forecast to grow 9.5% during 2024 and 4.9% during 2025, equal to 14.9% growth over the two years combined.

What is the global container trade forecast? ›

Global container trade will probably expand 2.5% to 4.5% this year with expectations now landing closer to the upper side of the range, Copenhagen-based Maersk said on Thursday, repeating its forecast range given in February.

What is the cargo outlook for 2023? ›

Consequently, 2023 concluded with an 11.3% increase in total air cargo capacity compared to 2022. The expansion in global air cargo capacity also resulted in a small drop in cargo load factors (month-on- month), closing the year at 44.0% on average.

Has shipping cost gone up in 2024? ›

As we navigate through 2024, the global shipping industry has encountered a notable surge in freight rates across several major trading routes, signalling an early onset of what appears to be an unusually early peak season.

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