10 Contract Clauses That Save You in Volatile Markets
When markets swing, contracts become your line of defense. In volatile times, losing a few percentage points of margin across many voyages can erode the business. Some shipowners don’t just negotiate hire, they bake...
Contracting in a Rate Slide: Surcharges You Can (and Can’t) Defend
When spot softens and capacity creeps back, every add-on gets questioned. Owners and NVOs still face real compliance and security costs, but only some surcharges are provably linked to external triggers. The art is...
Container Spot Rates in Freefall: What It Could Mean for Q4 Contracts
Container spot rates fell sharply into early October, hitting their lowest level since January 2024. Drewry’s WCI slid another 5% on October 2 to $1,669/FEU, with Far East–US lanes and Asia–Europe both under pressure;...
The Silent Squeeze: 8 Pressures Behind Today’s Freight Rate Collapse
Freight rates are tumbling again, leaving shipowners, brokers, and cargo shippers asking the same question: why now? The easy answer is “demand is weak,” but the reality is more complicated. Global utilization numbers show...