Cabotage regulations for cargo moving to and from Shanghai have been formally liberalised. Whilst this should be positive for the port's transhipment activity, the effect is likely to be limited.

Drewry's latest Container Leasing report shows that the world's fleet of operationally leased containers grew annually by almost 11 percent throughout 2011-12, although a smaller 6.4 percent is being forecast for 2013, in line with the poorer global trade forecast.

Average global freight rates have fallen to a 15-month low, according to Drewry's new online Container Freight Rate Insight.

As expected the ocean container industry just about scraped over the break-even line in 2012, albeit only because of the results of a handful of leading lights. There is every chance that lines will make decent money in 2013, but only if they refrain from old habits and stick to pricing and capacity discipline.