No relief: Global container shortage likely to last until 2022

Equipment lessors continue to see low inventories and extremely high prices.

 

The world does not have enough containers in the right places to handle cargo demand. It’s a conundrum that has persisted for so long that the mainstream press is finally covering it.

The New York Times reported Friday how the box shortfall is contributing to inflation: “Demand … has outstripped the availability of containers,” while the U.S. pandemic situation has eased to the point where retailers can pass along higher transport costs to consumers without being accused of price gouging — and “the cost of just about everything is rising.”

Many months after the container shortage first emerged, how bad does the problem remain?

Equipment leasing companies are in a good position to answer that. These companies order containers from the very small number of Chinese manufacturers that build them and lease the boxes to shipping lines, which also order from factories directly.

Two of the top public leasing companies — Triton International (NYSE: TRTN) and CAI International (NYSE: CAI) — commented on container availability as they reported Q1 2021 results on Thursday.

Generally speaking, the more profitable the market conditions for container lessors, the tighter box capacity is and the more cargo shippers must pay liners for transport. The bad news for U.S. importers and exporters: Equipment lessors see smooth sailing ahead, likely into 2022.

“There’s no indication from the shipping companies that they expect to see any easing of the tightness of supply that they’re dealing with,” said Tim Page, interim CEO of CAI International, on the call with analysts. “So … the horizon looks pretty good for us, at minimum through the end of this year, and likely well beyond that.”

 

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