May 24, 2010 - The latest regional Trade Briefing – this time for South America – with both the last quarter trade statistics and forecasting until 2012, is now available via www.shippersvoice.com, the networking site dedicated to issues important to shippers.
The analysis of containerised trade data, provided by Shippers’ Voice partner MDS Transmodal, predicts a “very robust” increase in imports in 2010, although export growth will be minimal, particularly from Brazil.
It says: “South American exporters will still be suffering the effects of the global slowdown for some time to come, impacting on exports of consumer goods and manufactured items in particular, with the brunt of this being felt in Brazil. In comparison, the growth in food consumption globally has continued unabated and this has been to the benefit of food exporters, especially in Chile.”
A new addition in this Trade Briefing is the MDS Transmodal commentary on supply side changes, all monitored and recorded in the MDST Containership Databank.
The report says the last four years have seen significant changes in shipping capacity deployment to South America, mainly led by major capacity increases on routes from the Far East (especially to the East Coast) and from North Europe (especially to the West Coast).
There may have been some tempering of the trend during 2009, but not that much, and the 5% drop in export volumes from South America has not impacted on shipping lanes in the same way that arterial routes have been affected by the recession in North America and Europe.
Andrew Traill, Managing Partner of Shippers’ Voice, says the predictions in this trade data are vital knowledge for both shippers (manufacturers, importers, exporters, retailers, wholesalers) and transport providers.
“Although South American imports are predicted to grow by 26% this year, they will fall back to about 3-4% in the following two years. Shippers and carriers need this information in order to better understand the relationship between trade forecasts and shipping capacity,” he explains.
“The balance between exports and imports, east or west coast, is significant in that it affects vessel utilisation and equipment availability. There may be some assurance for shippers in the region, exporting or importing, that no major issues are anticipated but shippers should remain vigilant in the months ahead, and watch to see how the lines continue to manage things.”
To see the South America Trade Briefing visit http://www.shippersvoice.com/2010/05/19/south-america-trade-briefing-strong-growth-and-bigger-ships/
MOL is one of the world’s largest multi-modal transport companies, operating 861 vessels and employing a workforce in excess of 9,200 worldwide. MOL operates one of the largest and most diverse networks of liner and logistics services around the globe, including weekly Transpacific, Transatlantic, Americas and Asia-Europe services. Please visit the company’s website at www.MOLpower.com.