Asia-Europe absorbs over half of 2010-2011 deliveries

   Asia-Europe trade has soaked up the majority of new boxship capacity over the past two years, according to international shipbroker Braemar Seascope, which reported that 56 percent of new boxship capacity delivered was deployed on the Asia-Northern Europe and Asia-Mediterranean trades.
   Over the past two years, 2.6 million TEUs of fully cellular newbuilding capacity has been delivered, with 1.5 million TEUs going to the Asia-Europe trades.
   “During 2011, 59 post-Panamax containerships, with an average capacity of 11,500 TEUs, entered Asia-Europe services, adding 680,000 TEUs of fresh capacity,” Braemar said. “Additionally, 15 containerships of an average 8,400 TEUs were delivered and deployed on Asia-Mediterranean and a developing Asia-Middle East trade lane, adding more than 125,000 TEUs of new capacity.”
   Braemar said a trade lane worth noting is the Asia-East Coast South America route, which recorded about 40 newbuildings entering service, including some comparatively high reefer capacity vessels exceeding 7,000 TEUs nominal capacity which were introduced by Maersk Line and Hamburg Süd.
   “In 2011, this emerging Latin American container route accounted for more than 10 percent of all new capacity commissioned,” Braemar said. “Another developing container trade lane, Asia-West Africa, witnessed deployment of 11 newbuildings last year, including the first of a newbuilding series of 22 x 4,500 TEUs geared vessels designed specifically for the growing trade between West Africa and Asia.”
   “For the next three years going forward we expect another 4 million TEUs to hit the water, which includes approximately 150 containerships with a nominal capacity of 10,000 TEUs or more,” said Jonathan Roach, senior container analyst at Braemar.