SIMIC

NEARLY six per cent of the global boxship fleet is now idle, up from just under five per cent two weeks ago, according to Alphaliner. It appears that it is mainly the carrier-controlled small and mid-sized vessels that are now unemployed.
Alphaliner's count suggests that 338 vessels totalling around 1.48 million TEU are now inactive, as freight rates, cargo volumes, and port congestion revert to pre-Covid levels, reports Container News.
The inactive fleet was dominated by 1,000-TEU to 2,000-TEU ships, with 74 idle vessels followed by 3,000 TEUers to 5,100 TEUers range, of which there were 64 idle vessels.
Vessel inactivity increased across all ship size classes with the exception of very large and ultra large ships above 12,500 TEU, where it remained more or less stable, with just 31 inactive ships.
Idle ships are defined as vessels that are not generating revenue, such as those in warm or cold lay-up, in-between service assignments for longer-than-normal periods, arrested, detained, abandoned, or idle for any other reasons.
Said Alphaliner: "Even with slow steaming and the deferment of newbuilding deliveries, the falling freight rates and crumbling cargo volumes continue to push the amount of commercially idle tonnage up. For now, however, this unemployed fleet grows slower than expected."
Carrier-controlled vessel idling continued to dominate the segment with a total capacity of 651,488 TEU, while the non-operating-owner idle tonnage stood at 84,651 TEU.
Meanwhile, the number of ships in drydock stood at 189 units, up 24 ships from three weeks before. In terms of capacity, the ships undergoing maintenance, repairs and conversions only increased by a moderate 35,777 TEU to reach 741,467 TEU.