Hapag-Lloyd has delayed its 23,000 teu newbuild plans as the liner faces up to the realities of plummeting demand for container transport due to coronavirus, reports Splash247.
Giant boxship orders on hold
Hapag-Lloyd had been expected earlier this year to join MSC, CMA CGM and HMM in ordering six giant boxships. But, CEO Rolf Habben Jansen recently said that the plans were put on hold.
Habben Jansen said, “We will need the big ships sooner or later, but no one should expect such an order in the coming weeks.”
World’s fifth largest liner
- Hapag-Lloyd is the world’s fifth largest liner with 1.7m slots in its fleet.
- Currently it has zero ships on order.
Sharpest contraction in container trade
According to the world’s largest broker, Clarksons Platou, this year is expected to see the sharpest contraction in global seaborne container trade on record.
The massive volume of blanked sailings announced in recent weeks is set to create new records in terms of the inactive containership fleet.
Analysts at Alphaliner say this will breach the 3m teu mark for the first time that is around 13% of the entire global box fleet will be out of work.
For more information read our article Ocean Carriers Idle a Record 13% Capacity Due To Falling Demand
Blank sailings to continue
Habben Jansen said that he expects blanked sailings by his company and other members of THE Alliance to continue into the third quarter.
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Source: Splash247
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