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I work with a number of container shipping companies. Almost all have kicked off new-build projects since the start of the pandemic, after several years of tigh
by acrooks 5y ago
I work with a number of container shipping companies. Almost all have kicked off new-build projects since the start of the pandemic, after several years of tight margins, budget cuts, bankruptcies, and asset sales. The industry is in a real peak right now - some ocean shipping companies paid a 100% bonus in 2021.
It's really difficult for the industry to target the right spot of the supply/demand curve. A new-build project takes several years they need to commit in advance to the shipyards how many vessels will be built as part of a new class. Meanwhile, many other companies are simultaneously building vessels. And it's impossible to predict events like the port congestion in LA that drastically reduced supply for a period of time. And it's difficult to predict macroeconomic changes in demand. And a vessel might cost a hundred million dollars, so the operator isn't going to let it sit around and do nothing - they're going to put it to work and make as much money as they can.
- mediaman 5y agoInteresting. If there are a lot of new vessels built, then they could be facing poor margins again in a few years after supply comes online. It's a lot like the airline industry. Once that vessel is built, the cost of each incremental container is almost nothing.