Box routes face chop as charter rates go sky-high.

(From Lloyds List)

Byline: Marginal services may be axed in tonnage squeeze, writes Janet Porter

CONTAINER lines are expected to take the axe to non-core services after a massive jump in ship charter rates that will drive marginal routes into the red.

With many other costs including insurance, fuel, terminal charges and even container prices also on the increase, experts warned yesterday that carriers would have to prune their service networks to remain profitable.

Although freight rates continue to strengthen, they are not recovering as fast as ship charter rates, which are smashing records on an almost daily basis.

Broker Howe …