Liner shipping at a crossroads?

Container shipping lines should brace themselves for up to three years of significant overcapacity and falling freight rates. At least that was the consensus thinking of analysts and industry experts at the Intermodal Europe conference held in Hamburg last month.

There was also talk of a possible new orders taking shape as Maersk Line, CMA CGM and MSC finalise details of their planned P3 alliance which would only serve to further increase overcapacity in the longer term.