About that rate relief … ocean shipping costs are rising again

The container shipping market calls to mind a famous Mark Twain misquote: “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”

The historic rate boom appears alive and well — bad news for cargo shippers and good news for container shipping investors.

There was a dip in spot prices over recent months from stratospherically high levels, but downward momentum did not hold. Rates stabilized at extremely high levels, and in several trade lanes, including Asia-to-U.S., rates are now gravitating upward yet again.