Smaller independent carriers Zim Integrated Shipping Services and Pacific International Lines (PIL) are grabbing more share of volume to and from the United States as the world’s Top 5 container carriers saw their shares slip in the first three quarters of 2018.
The combined US import market share of the Top 5 US import carriers slipped 0.3 percentage points to 58.1 percent from January through September, while the Top 5’s US export share fell 0.8 percentage points to 58.4 percent, according to data from PIERS, a sister product of JOC.
Zim and PIL were two of the top three fastest-growing import carriers in the first three quarters. Zim’s import volume jumped 31.5 percent year over year to 508,863 TEU, while the Haifa-based carrier’s export volume rose 19.7 percent to 219,578 TEU. Zim in late October made its first call at the Port of Jacksonville as part of an Asian service within a strategic partnership with the 2M Alliance of Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Co.
Among the Top 5 import carriers, the Maersk Group performed the best and posted the only double-digit growth, with a 12.3 percent increase to 2.3 million TEU. CMA CGM/APL had the next best performance, with an increase of 9.6 percent to 2.4 million TEU.
PIL’s US import volume surged 30.8 percent to 223,696 TEU, as export volume rose 4.1 percent to 31,588 TEU. Outpacing PIL in terms of export growth among the Top 5 were the Maersk Group’s 10.2 percent increase to 1.4 million TEU, and Hapag-Lloyd’s 17.1 percent increase to 874,986 TEU.
Outside the Top 5
Cosco Shipping was up 13.8 percent to 489,278 TEU, while TOTE’s export volume increased 25.2 percent to 162,215 TEU and Dole’s jumped 20.9 percent to 54,137 TEU. Traditional North-South carriers TOTE and Dole were able to capitalize on the 5.8 percent increase in US exports to Latin America, which was the second-fastest rate of growth by region.
Total US imports rose 5.3 percent to 18 million TEU through the first nine months, as US exports grew 2.6 percent to 9.5 million TEU. US imports from the Middle East and Africa rose at the fastest rate, increasing 10.8 percent to 200,363 TEU, followed by imports from the Indian subcontinent, which rose 9.7 percent to 733,624 TEU. US imports from Asia, which account for 68 percent of the total trade, rose 4.9 percent to 12.2 million TEU.
Growth in US exports was led by the 30.5 percent jump in trade with the Indian subcontinent, as US exporters of waste have had the most success finding new customers in India following mainland China’s ban on the importation of such commodities. Mainland China’s waste ban pushed down US exports to Asia 2 percent to 4.5 million TEU, as Asia was the only region to record a volume decline through the first three quarters.
Waste is the single largest US export commodity, and while the Chinese market is closed, the total US export decline was less pronounced than it otherwise would have been because waste exporters have also had success finding buyers in Asian markets such as Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Source :- Dailyshippingtimes.com
