Peter Keller, the former executive vice president and chief operating officer of NYK Group Americas, says container-shipping companies could pool ships, much as they do with container chassis, so vessels could be finely controlled to meet rising or falling demand without causing huge swings in prices.

"Why not create an industry utility, owned by the lines, to manage vessel supply by major trade lane? These utilities would insure sufficient assets are available to meet trade lane demand," Keller said in remarks prepared recently for the Virginia Maritime Authority in Norfolk.

Ships are a generic commodity, he says. Larger trade lanes could have two or even three pools.

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