The world number of containerized maritime travel is recovering, but not uniformly

UNCTAD specified that in mid-June the average number of carriers arriving weekly ports around the world had fallen to 8,722, a decline 8.5% year-on-year. The latest data, on the other hand, show that globally, the average of weekly port stops is 9,265 at the beginning of August, a figure 3% lower than 12 months earlier.

UNCTAD explained that, worldwide, the total number of of the weekly container port stops started to come down below 2019 levels around mid-March this year and then begin a gradual recovery around the third Week of June. The UN organisation noted that the beginning of the phase of decline of maritime transport containerized worlds coincided with the decision of 11 March World Health Organization classify the Covid-19 as a pandemic, while the gradual resumption of sea-sea trade took place in conjunction with the the beginning of the exit from the lockdown by some nations.

In an article by Jan Hoffmann, Hassiba Benamara, Daniel Hopp and Luisa Rodriguez, UNCTAD pointed out that if during the third quarter of this year in most regions there has been some increase in the number of container carriers both in absolute terms and in relation to 2019 levels, however, the overall data significant regional differences. For example, if early last month the weekly container stopovers in China and Hong Kong had grown by 4.1% compared to a year before, stops in North America and Europe were still -16.3% 13.2% below the levels recorded the previous year. "Regional and national trends- noted officials and UNCTAD researchers - seem to follow the trend of Pandemic. Models of port ports can also be observed South America and Africa, which are likely to reflect the delayed start of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns."

Moreover, according to UNCTAD, not all changes in the number of weekly stops are the result of the impact of the pandemic because the change in the number of stops can be influenced also by changes in trade policies business models change as well as regulations affecting navigation and ports. This is what we are It also adds the effect of ship-use strategies adopted by individual shipping companies and consortia shipowners. "That's why -- he specified the head of UNCTAD's Trade Logistics section, Jan Hoffmann - it is also interesting to look at other indicators, such as containerised shipping schedule', planning of the upcoming departures - he pointed out - showing deployment of fleet loading capacity related to the shipping companies' expectations future question. If in the third quarter - he explained - travel shipping containers to and from China and the US recorded a schedules show a steady decline for many nations European.

Hoffman also stressed the need to analyse carefully the schedules of departures submitted by the companies seafaring, as in this period they are often planned blank sailing, that is, the cancellation of stopovers in certain in the absence of sufficient demand. Hoffmann warned also of the subsistence of the risk of some sort of dependence circular determined by the fact that the expectations of the companies navigation can be based on economic forecasts they may depend in part on the work of analysts economic data from service schedules containerized seafarers.