Transportation Insights

The monthly XSI® Public Indices report gives an indication of the global market movements in the container shipping industry focusing on the long-term market for the biggest regions in the world: Global index: 1. Far East indices (import/export) 2. Europe indices (import/export) 3. US Indices (import/export) Access the XSI Public Indices Reports (PDF) here: www.xeneta.com/xsi-public-indices

The monthly XSI® Public Indices report gives an indication of the global market movements in the container shipping industry focusing on the long-term market for the biggest regions in the world: Global index: 1. Far East indices (import/export) 2. Europe indices (import/export) 3. US Indices (import/export) Access the XSI Public Indices Reports (PDF) here: www.xeneta.com/xsi-public-indices

The monthly XSI® Public Indices report gives an indication of the global market movements in the container shipping industry focusing on the long-term market for the biggest regions in the world: Global index: 1. Far East indices (import/export) 2. Europe indices (import/export) 3. US Indices (import/export) Access the XSI Public Indices Reports (PDF) here:  www.xeneta.com/xsi-public-indices

The monthly XSI® Public Indices report gives an indication of the global market movements in the container shipping industry focusing on the long-term market for the biggest regions in the world: Global index: 1. Far East indices (import/export) 2. Europe indices (import/export) 3. US Indices (import/export) Access the XSI Public Indices Reports (PDF) here: www.xeneta.com/xsi-public-indices

The monthly XSI® Public Indices report gives an indication of the global market movements in the container shipping industry focusing on the long-term market for the biggest regions in the world: Global index: 1. Far East indices (import/export) 2. Europe indices (import/export) 3. US Indices (import/export) Access the XSI Public Indices Reports (PDF) here: www.xeneta.com/xsi-public-indices

Latest episode of The Air & Ocean Freight Podcast

   For clients who ship cargo overseas, the choice of whether to use sea freight or air freight will depend on a few factors, including: - Distance - Type of cargo - Time sensitivity - Cost consideration - Cargo safety - Accessibility A customer may have various requirements influencing their decision regarding the mode of transport to be used, but essentially, it comes down to the natur...

BAF is the abbreviation for Bunker Adjustment Factor. The term "Bunker" refers to the Fuel that is used to operate ships. The ship operator is responsible for the payment of these bunkers to the bunker supplier. As fuel prices are quite volatile, the shipping lines charge a fee called "Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF)" to cover the fluctuations in global bunker costs. BAF is charged either as a sepa...

There are a few pros and cons to going short term, but it’s more a matter of whether you ‘can’ leverage a short-term market or not. And, you have to consider all, both from organizational and operational point of views. Moreover, the definition of short-term is also subjective. To shippers who are used to long-term tenders of 2 years or over, short-term might be 6-12 months. But to others who are...

Hi everybody, and welcome to another edition of The Brief, the audiocast series providing answers to the most frequently asked questions revolving around the complex world of ocean freight rate benchmarking and procurement.  This week, as you already know, is all about freight contract negotiation. As we’re entering the negotiation season, we want to focus on what the best practices in freight con...

Should I benchmark my shipping freight rates against the competition? Yes, of course. How else do you know if you have received a competitive rate from your supplier? You need to know how your rates compare to your peers, the market, in order to make sane freight procurement decisions. In the current market, carriers are placing more focus on reducing their costs and increasing their bottom line t...

An alliance is a grouping of ocean carriers joining forces to operate ships on some trade routes. Only the vessels and its operations are shared, and there is no commercial terms being shared. As of April 2017, three major shipping alliances (one new, one re-aligned after a big merger and one re-aligned after a major takeover) have been dominating container liner operations. 2M – MSC; Maersk; HMM...

In the case of agreeing to prices “subject to GRI” or “subject to peak season surcharge”?, the first question to ask is – “Do you have a choice?”, especially if you ship on the spot market. The reason is that GRI (General Rate Increase) or PSS (Peak Season Surcharge) is something that the shipping lines implement, whether you like it or not, whether you agree or not. However, as with any rule, the...

Whether you are a BCO (Beneficial Cargo Owner) with big volumes of specific cargo on multiple trade lanes or an OTI (Freight Forwarder or NVOCC) with big volumes of FAK (Freight All Kinds) cargo on multiple trade lanes, choosing the right carrier is of paramount importance to the success of your business. In this regard, the question could be whether you should choose a carrier based on trade lane...

"Leaving money on the table" is an idiom which signifies someone not getting or saving money that they could be. This idiom is thought to have originated from poker wherein if you don’t play intelligently, you may be leaving your money on the poker table. This expression is quite widely used in negotiations. But does it apply to ocean freight rate negotiations? Definitely. Ocean freight rate negot...

This year the US trades have been dominated by the tit-for-tat trade war with China that have contributed to a significant increase in rates, however, 2018 didn’t get off to the best start. In this part-2 blog post, Xeneta looks back over the last 12 months to highlight key developments in the Far East - US West Coast trade. Those operating in the Far East - US West Coast (USWC) trade saw rates in...

With 2019 fast approaching, Xeneta looks back over the last 12 months to highlight key developments across the industry. Far East - North West Europe 2017 was a positive year for carriers, with rates during the first six months on the FE - NWE route in particular, at healthy levels. However, as the market entered Q4, weakness began to materialize. Although carriers were able to lift rates in the r...

www.xeneta.com/blog/what-if-my-v…y-contract-period Shipping is a dynamic industry, and shipping volumes are always fluctuating based on the movement of global trade and business performance. When there are stability and continuity of business, Beneficial Cargo Owners (BCO) may opt for a service contract. But then, of course, perceptions of stability and business continuity are relative as these co...

Knowing when is the best time to negotiate freight rates depends on who you are as an entity and what is most suitable for you, for your business and for your supply chain. No general time frame suits everyone for the negotiation of ocean freight rates. For example, if you are a seller trading with a buyer in a new country, then the best time for you to benchmark and negotiate ocean freight rates...

For some trade corridors, September 2018 has proven to be a month of uncertainty due to tariffs causing slight frenzy from shippers and carriers taking the opportunity to jack up rates. Golden Week is also inching up giving carriers even more open waters to see what they can do before year end. Here is a rundown of the latest September ocean freight rate developments as seen in Xeneta for the tran...