The number of blank sailings -- where ships don’t load at a planned location -- has jumped since the outbreak began. Though rates can vary, using an estimate of $1,000 per container, that means shippers had to stomach a hit of $600 million this week. The lack of liners hauling containers from Asia, may soon mean countries like the U.S. face a shortage. There are now 12 empty liquefied gas carriers sitting off the coast of Qatar, one of the world’s biggest producers. “You can’t discharge your ship, you can’t load as fast as you want, so it’s impacting the global supply chain.”

Source: Economic Times February 16, 2020 09:56 UTC