With market ascendancy firmly with the charterers, a tendency for flexible and short-term fixtures remains a feature

There are around 18 newbuilds to be delivered in the first quarter of 2019, with 10 in January alone

Three of IRISL’s 14,508 teu newbuilds have joined the idle pool, with the remaining fourth vessel set to join them imminently

MSI says a steady flow of returning tonnage from charter expiries will also keep a lid on charter rates in early 2019

Analysts and brokers are forecasting a surge of up to 30% in some sectors

VLCCs sustain uptrend on higher vessel demand across regions, supported by high activity in advance of China’s Golden Week holidays

Alphaliner estimates container shipping's idle fleet is set to swell to more than 3% of the total operable fleet by the end of the year

The idle boxship pool has continued to rise as carriers scale back on capacity

Using July 2018 rates as a base, capesize spot rates could touch $45,000 per day at their seasonal peak, Arctic Securities estimates

Box lines dealing with a significant rise in operating costs while freight rates offer little support in terms of revenues

Rates head north amid fixture frenzy as carriers rush to secure tonnage needs from a dwindling idle fleet