A majority of container logistics professionals (54%) said that they do not believe that shifting container production away from China would improve global supply chains, according to a recent survey.

In a report published by Container xChange November 13, 2023, entitled “2023 Shipping Industry Trends and Future of Shipping in 2024,” 19% of those interviewed said that they believe shifting production away from China would help supply chains while another 27% said this change could maybe help alleviate global supply issues.

The study also showed that 51% of responders said this potential transition could lead to higher costs for the shipping industry. Conversely, 26% said that they do not think this move would lead to higher global shipping costs.

The global shipping industry is currently attempting to handle an excess of 13 million containers left over from Spring 2023, which has caused a drop in container shipping rates in recent months. As a result, container production has fallen from almost 7 million TEUs in 2021 to just over 1 million TEUs manufactured in 2023.

“The numbers don't lie. While diversifying container production away from China might seem like a great idea, we need to tread carefully,” said Christian Roeloffs, the co-founder and CEO of Container xChange. “The surplus of containers and the complexities of repositioning containers raise concerns about the effectiveness of this strategy in addressing global supply chain challenges.”

Container xChange surveyed 1,500 supply chain professionals for its “2023 Shipping Industry Trends and Future of Shipping in 2024” survey.