Berglund News

Fabio Brocca after being appointed Chief Product Officer at ocean and air freight rate benchmarking platform, Xeneta.Brocca was previously Head of Product for Global Transportation Technology at Amazon.“Amazon showed me the importance of working backwards from the customer and how a best-in-class tech company is run.“When you are transforming an industry, you must think long term. What we think is needed today may not be what’s needed tomorrow, so it is a continuous pursuit of innovation.“There is a beautiful quote from Jeff Bezos where he says…

Ocean and air freight rate benchmarking and intelligence platform Xeneta has appointed Tonia Luykx to spearhead its journey to drive revenues through an industry data revolution.Luykx, who has a track record for building and scaling SaaS and tech businesses including Sift, Google, Dropbox and Amazon, has now set her sights on global logistics in the position of Chief Revenue Officer at Oslo-based Xeneta.She said, “I have always worked in organizations that challenge the status quo…

The Xeneta Summit has heard the ocean freight shipping industry will find new ways of working together in the face of a volatile market.Stanley Smulders, Director of Marketing & Commercial at Ocean Network Express (ONE), took part in a keynote Q&A with Xeneta CEO Patrik Berglund during the Summit in Amsterdam this week to discuss the major challenges facing the industry.While there are rough seas ahead, Smulders maintains growth is still on the horizon.He said: “The current market is at best volatile…

Supply chains around the world could be at serious risk amid expected increases in the cost of ocean freight shipping during 2024.Oslo-based Xeneta has carried out in-depth analysis of the latest ocean freight rates and branded the current market as unsustainable.Xeneta CEO Patrik Berglund said: “The cost of moving goods by sea has plummeted during 2023 by almost 60% for long term contracts on a global level and some corridors, such as the Transatlantic into US East Coast and Far East to Europe…

The beleaguered carrier industry took another major hit in June, with the latest data from Xeneta’s Shipping Index (XSI) showing a decline of 9.4% in global long-term shipping rates. Following on the heels of a 27.5% collapse in May, and a 10.3% fall in April, contracted rates have now shed 47.2% of their value in the last three months alone, and 51.7% over the course of 2023.Xeneta’s data shows falls in the prices of valid long-term contracts across all key trading corridors…

The ocean freight industry saw a slump in global long-term rates of unprecedented proportions in May, as the contracted cost of shipping containers fell by 27.5%. The development, detailed by Xeneta’s Shipping Index (XSI), marks the ninth consecutive month of rates drops, and is the largest ever monthly fall recorded on the XSI.“If industry observers were left wondering just how bad it could get for carriers after the 10% fall in long-term rates seen in April, here’s the answer,” said Patrik Berglund, CEO of Oslo-based Xeneta.

January proved to be a dramatic month for long-term ocean freight rates, with the latest data from the Xeneta Shipping Index (XSI) showing the largest ever month-on-month declines. According to the XSI, average long-term contracted rates dropped by 13.3% in January,  the fifth month in a row of falling prices on the index. Xeneta warns there is little sign of change ahead in what looks set to be a challenging year for carriers.“Global demand has fallen away, congestion has eased…

Long-term ocean freight rates suffered a steep month-on-month decline in November as subdued spot prices, weak demand, and ongoing economic uncertainty caught up with contracted container agreements. The latest data from the Xeneta Shipping Index (XSI) indicates that global rates fell by 5.7%, with all major corridors experiencing negative import and export trends. This is the third month in a row rates have dropped, but the largest month-on-month decline recorded since the launch of the XSI in 2019.Fighting for volume“A drop in long-term rates is no surprise…

After over two years of rising rates and overstretched capacity, the rapidly cooling ocean freight market looks set for an “extremely challenging” 2023, according to Oslo-based Xeneta. An in-depth analysis of the latest real-time ocean and air freight rates, combined with expert trend forecasts, suggests that ocean cargo volumes could fall by up to 2.5%, rates will drop “significantly” and weak demand will force increased idling of vessels. The air freight market, analysts predict…

Stubborn long-term container rates refuse to follow in footsteps of huge spot declines, but change is coming - XenetaWith dramatic spot rate falls, a non-existent peak season, and easing port congestion freeing up capacity, the scene was set in October for a significant decline in long-term ocean freight rates. However, the latest data from the Xeneta Shipping Index (XSI) reveals global contracted rates fell by only 0.6% this month, following on from September’s 1.1% decline (the first falls since January 2022).

Long-term contracted rates fell by 1.1% in September, marking the first drop since January and one of only three declines in the past 21 months, recent data from the Xeneta Shipping Index (XSI) reveals. However, analysts at Oslo-based Xeneta, which aggregates data from leading global shippers and freight forwarders, expect “it won’t be the last”, with market fundamentals suggesting the “halcyon days” of ever-increasing rates for carriers may be drawing to a close.“It had to happen sooner or later,” said Xeneta CEO Patrik Berglund.

Despite another slew of rises in long-term contracted ocean freight rates across key global trade corridors, month-on-month growth is slowing - and spot rates continue to weaken – suggesting prices may have peaked. However, according to the latest Xeneta Shipping Index (XSI), which crowd-sources real-time data from the world’s leading shippers, today’s valid long-term agreements stand 112% higher than this time last year, and a massive 280% up against July 2019.“The carriers have enjoyed staggering rates rises…

It’s been another bumper month for long-term contracted ocean freight rates, as the cost of securing container shipments climbed by 10.1% in June. Following on the heels of a record 30.1% hike in May, this now means rates stand 169.8% higher than this time last year, with just two months of declines in the last 18 months. Despite a degree of macro-economic uncertainty clouding the horizon, all major trades saw prices moving up, with some corridors showing significant gains.Xeneta has released the figures…

According to the latest crowd-sourced data from Xeneta, long-term rates for reefer containers on the key US West Coast to Far East route soared almost 60% in April.In its report Xeneta notes a surge in rates of around $2000 per 40-ft. unit after the latest 12-month contracts came to a close. The average contracted rate recorded on 15 May stood at $5850 per container, while the average for new agreements running from Q2 2022 to the end of Q1 2023 was even higher, at $5945 per 40-ft. reefer.“This is an almighty increase, pushing prices to an all-time high” said Patrik Berglund, Xeneta CEO.

Long-term contracted ocean freight rates fell 3.6% in January, according to the latest Xeneta Shipping Index (XSI) Public Indices, the second consecutive monthly rates decline following 14 straight months of increases. Despite the recent stumble, contracted rates stand 98.1% up year-on-year.“The logistics chain remains stressed,” said Patrik Berglund, CEO of Oslo-based Xeneta, “with demand outstripping supply, port congestion, a lack of equipment and the ongoing pandemic impacting across key global trades.

Ocean carriers remain in pole position in negotiations for long-term freight contracts, with high demand, port congestion, and supply chain disruption driving further rates increases. According to the Xeneta Shipping Index (XSI) Public Indices, long-term rates recorded their tenth consecutive month-on-month rise in October, climbing by 2.2%. The indices now stand at a colossal 93.1% up year-on-year, with little hope of relief on the horizon for embattled shippers.The past few months have seen long-term ocean freight rates climb by 3.2% in September, 2.2% in August and a huge 28.1% in August.

BIMCO's longtime chief shipping analyst Peter Sand is departing the trade organization to take up the chief analyst role at ocean and air freight rate benchmarking, market analytics platform and container shipping index Xeneta, the Olso-based company announced on Wednesday.Sand joins Xeneta after over a decade at BIMCO, where he was responsible for analyzing commercial markets based on the global economic situation and its influence on trade. Prior to BIMCO, he worked with Danish shipping company D/S NORDEN as a senior analyst.

Hong Kong-headquartered dry bulk shipping company Pacific Basin announced Wednesday that Martin Fruergaard will take over as CEO, replacing longtime chief executive Mats Berglund, who has decided to retie. Fruergaard, the current CEO of Danish gas shipping company Ultragas, will relocate to Hong Kong and join Pacific Basin in early July. He brings to the role significant maritime leadership experience, having previously occupied senior positions in Maersk Bulk Carriers, Maersk Tankers and Maersk Drilling.Berglund was CEO of Pacific Basin for nine years…

The ongoing trend of downward pressure on long-term contracted ocean freight rates appears to have been broken, or at least temporarily derailed, with marginal increases seen across the board in November.According to the latest XSI Public Indices report from Xeneta, which provides unique business intelligence based on real-time crowd-sourced data from the world’s leading shippers, global rates climbed by 0.9% over the last month. This disrupts a long-term pattern of decline that, with the exception of a sizable and unexpected rise in May, has been ongoing since Summer 2018.Oslo-based Xeneta’s XSI Public Indices report utilities over 110 million data points, covering over 160,000 port-to-port pairings, to provide unparalleled insight into the very latest market moves.

The container shipping segment appears to have caught coronavirus, with the industry suffering its first monthly fall in long-term contracted ocean freight rates since October 2019. According to the latest XSI Public Indices report from Xeneta, March 2020 saw a small dip of 0.5% in rates after a sustained period of growth. Although these symptoms look mild, the future is characterized by growing uncertainty, with widespread economic disruption and looming global recession likely…

Look beneath the surface of a relatively calm month for long-term contracted ocean freight rates and, says Oslo-headquartered Xeneta, industry observers will see a maelstrom of activity, adjustments and market uncertainty.According to the latest XSI Public Indices report from Xeneta, the leading ocean freight rate benchmarking and market analytics platform, July saw a marginal decline in rates of 0.4%, with a marked fall in the Far East export benchmark. Meanwhile US exports and European imports performed well.The global index has now fallen by 2.4% since its all time high in May this year…

According to Norway-based ocean freight rate benchmarking and market intelligence specialist Xeneta, long-term contracted ocean freight rates for carriers continued their downward trend this month, however by only 0.1% globally. The company said the decline comes against a backdrop of increasing overcapacity, and that widespread blanked sailings and on-going concern over US-China relations were adding to industry uncertainty.Xeneta said that long-term rates have followed a pattern of decline since the middle of 2018…

Further disruption in ocean freight rates expected despite best efforts from leading carriers, according to Xeneta Container Rates Alert.Long-term contracted ocean freight rates for carriers continued their downward trend through the month of October, it pointed out.The latest freight data from the XSI Public Indices report from Xeneta shows a continued drop in contracted freight rates as the industry heads into the key seasonal months.Rates on a number of key routes have continued a steady downward slide since early summer but have yet to fall below the levels seen one year ago, nor at the start of this year.The company’s XSI (Xeneta Shipping Index) which reports on the long-term contracted market…