APL’s rates still increasing

APL’s rates still increasing    APL’s average revenue per 40-foot equivalent unit rose 6 percent year-on-year in the four-week period ended July 23 to $2,825, a higher level than in the peak season of 2003.
   Average freight rates at APL, which take into account all trade routes and may be affected by a change in the mix of cargoes, have increased 9 percent since April.
   Neptune Orient Lines, the parent company of APL, reported that APL shipped 136,000 FEUs in the latest four-week period, 14 percent more than a year earlier.
   “Volumes rose 14 percent year-on-year, with contributions from the key transpacific, Asia/Europe and intra-Asia trade routes,” NOL said. “The introduction of additional capacity, combined with improved utilization, thus far in 2004 has helped to boost volumes compared with last year.”
   NOL said the rise in APL’s average revenue per FEU was due to a change in mix, rate increases and fees reflecting seasonal factors in several key trade lanes.