At the beginning of June, only 63 container ships were listed as idle, which is the lowest level since August 2008. However, shipping line revenues are suffering as carriers are forced to reduce rates on ships in an attempt to stimulate demand.
The outlook remains uncertain because ships are not running at full capacity on a number of routes, and freight rates remain low. Shipping routes from the Far East to Europe are operating at below 90%, which may force some carriers to take ships out of operation.