 Chinese New Year approaches, but inactive fleet shrinks |
Source |
American Shipper |
Post Date |
02/01/2021 |
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The global inactive containership fleet once again contracted in January, mainly since the number of commercially idle vessel fell and their combined capacity now ped below the 250,000 teu mark. Unlike in most years, the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday (11-17 February) might only have a fairly mild effect on vessel employment.
Reportedly, some factories implemented ¡®flexible¡¯ closure dates while others plan to remain and keep moving cargoes out of China.
The inactive fleet, which represents the sum of commercially idle ships plus vessels in shipyards, stood at 136 units for 599,650 teu, as per 18 January. It thus accounted for 2.5% of the global cellular fleet. Compared to Alphaliner¡¯s survey in early January, which identified 144 inactive ships for 645,422 teu, the count ped by eight ships and 45,772 teu.
Alphaliner however detected an increase in the number of vessels in shipyards, undergoing maintenance, repairs or retrofits. We counted 76 ships for 352,725 teu in yards, up four vessels and 22,024 teu from two weeks ago. As per 18 January, we counted 60 ships for 246,925 teu as commercially idle, which is twelve fewer than in our previous survey, when idling stood at 314,721 teu. The number of carrier-controlled idle ships ped by eight units and 64,812 teu to reach 36 ships and 204,927 teu. Non-operating owners only had 24 idle ships for 41,998 teu, which is another slight reduction from the previous count. Within the ¡®idle¡¯ sub-segment of the wider ¡®inactive¡¯ fleet, nonoperating owners¡¯ ships only accounted for 17% of the idle capacity, whereas the carrier-controlled ships made u
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