Charter rates continue to diverge, remaining firm for the larger ships in the
Panamax and larger segments while softening in the smaller sizes of below 3,000
teu.
Demand in the larger sizes have been surprisingly resilient despite the ongoing
weakness in the freight markets. All prompt vessels of 5,000 teu and above have
been snatched up, with the tight supply to persist until the end of the year.
But the supply-demand balance for smaller ships have started to weaken, with a
significant number