The Lasting Effects of a Temporary Trade Stoppage

May 13, 2021 | , , Rodrigo De La Peña Alanis, Associate Research Analyst

Line chart showing Shanghai Containerized Freight Index level. Chart subtitle: Global shipping rates have conitnued to surge, exacerbated by the Suez Canal blockage. Chart description: Y-axis shows Shanghai Containerized Freight Index in USD, from $500 to $3,500. X-axis shows years from 2017 to present (2021. Index level line hovers across most years shown from around $700-$900, but steadily then sharply increased in 2020. After slightly decreasing in early 2021, it again increased and reached a peak in early May and continues to hover at over $3000. Chart source: Bloomberg as of May 11, 2021.

In late March, one of the busiest waterways in the world came to a standstill after the Ever Given, a 1,300-foot container ship, became lodged in the Suez Canal. Nearly 30% of the world’s daily shipping container freight passes through the Suez Canal, and with supply chains already disrupted amid the COVID pandemic, the timing could not have been worse. While only a one-week stoppage, with approximately 7% of the world’s oil and 12% of global goods trade flowing through the canal, it is estimated that each day lost delayed more than $9 billion worth of goods.¹

In this Chart of the Week, we analyze the impact that the Suez Canal closure had on maritime shipping costs and the contribution to inflation. The chart above shows the daily price movement of the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI). As one of many proxies for global trade and ocean freight health, the SCFI reflects the weekly shipping spot rates of Shanghai container exports along 15 major trade routes, including Shanghai to the United States (east and west coasts), Europe, South Africa, and South America. In contrast to the highly-cited China Containerized Freight Index (CCFI), the SCFI focuses solely on exports in these 15 individual trade routes, rather than nationwide import and export container transport, which would include more contractual and futures rates. Rates surged throughout 2020 amid increasing demand for goods over services and tighter supply. The blockage, which may take months to fully recover from, combined with pent-up demand and economic re-openings has exacerbated the imbalance and sent SCFI spot shipping costs up another 20% over the last month. Rising inflation has been an increasing concern for investors this year and, given current dynamics, we do not expect the contribution from higher global shipping rates to abate anytime soon.

Print PDF > The Lasting Effects of a Temporary Trade Stoppage

¹Lloyd’s List Intelligence

 

The opinions expressed herein are those of Marquette Associates, Inc. (“Marquette”), and are subject to change without notice. This material is not financial advice or an offer to purchase or sell any product. Marquette reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs.

Rodrigo De La Peña Alanis
Associate Research Analyst

Get to Know Rodrigo

Related Content

This chart description is for illustrative purposes only and its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Please see full disclosures at end of PDF document in the web post. General description: Combination column and line chart comparing recent holiday spending by U.S. consumers. Chart subtitle: Spending is on track to reach record levels this holiday season, despite mounting economic pressures faced by American consumers. Chart source: Adobe Analytics and CNN Business as of October 31, 2023. Chart description: Left Y-axis is labeled “Spending” and ranges from $0B to $250B. Right Y-axis is labeled “YoY Growth” and ranges from 0% to 50%. X-axis labels each column: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 (Projected). Holiday Spending by U.S. Consumers is plotted in dark teal columns. Holiday Spending Growth is plotted with light purple line and markers. 2019 saw $143B in spending and 13.1% YoY growth; 2020 $188B, 32.1%; 2021 $205B, 8.7%; 2022 $212B, 3.5%, and 2023 is projected at $222B and 4.8%. End chart description. See disclosures at end of document.

11.30.2023

‘Tis the Season to Spend!

The holiday spending frenzy is well underway as some of the biggest shopping days of the year, including Black Friday…

11.16.2023

The Taming of the VIX

October proved tumultuous for investors as all major U.S. equity indices were negative and the CBOE VIX Index, which serves…

This chart description is for illustrative purposes only and its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Please see full disclosures at end of PDF document in the web post. General description: Combination stacked column and line chart comparing unrealized gains/losses with effective federal funds rate. Chart subtitle: Unrealized losses across depository institutions have increased in recent quarters thanks to higher interest rates. Chart source: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis as of June 30, 2023. Chart description: Left Y-axis is labeled “Unrealized Gains/Losses” and ranges from -$800B to +$800B, corresponding to stacked columns. Right Y-axis is labeled “Rate” and ranges from -6% to +6%, corresponding to line. X-axis ranges from 1Q08 to 2Q23; labels are at 3-quarter increments to fit so last label is for 1Q23. Available-For-Sale Securities are plotted in dark green base of stacked columns; Held-To-Maturity Securities are plotted in lighter green as second half of column. Effect Federal Funds Rate line is plotted in light blue. Unrealized losses are at significant levels for chart losses; since the fed funds rate has increased since 1Q22, losses have totaled over $300B. Most recent datapoints, as of 2Q23 are as follows: Available-For-Sale Securities at -$248.9B, Held-To-Maturity Securities at -$309.6B, and Effective Federal Funds Rate at 5.3%. Please contact us for the full dataset. End chart description. See disclosures at end of document.

11.08.2023

Realizing the Impact of Unrealized Losses

Earlier this year, the regional banking crisis and eventual collapses of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, First Republic Bank, and…

This chart description is for illustrative purposes only and its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Please see full disclosures at end of PDF document in the web post. General description: Three-line chart showing cumulative return for various U.S. equity indices. Chart subtitle: Domestic stock indices enter correction territory after recent slide. Chart source: Bloomberg as of October 31, 2023. Chart description: Y-axis is labeled “Cumulative Return” and ranges from -15% to +10%. X-axis is labeled in monthly increments, from Jun-23 to Oct-23. Data ranges 6/30/23 through 10/31/23. S&P 500 Index is plotted in orange line, Nasdaq-100 Index in light tan line, and Russell 2000 Index in dark purple line. Most recent data points, respectively, -5.31%, -4.84%, -11.61%. Please contact us for the full dataset. End chart description. See disclosures at end of document.

11.01.2023

The Chart for Red October

U.S. equities declined for the third consecutive month in October amid an environment of higher yields and underwhelming earnings reports…

10.13.2023

3Q 2023 Market Insights Video

This video is a recording of a live webinar held on October 26 by Marquette’s research team, featuring in-depth analysis…

10.26.2023

Portfolio Trick or Treat

Coming into 2023, investors were cautiously optimistic about 2023 market returns; cautious considering the broad losses across asset classes during…

More articles

Subscribe to Research Email Alerts

Research Email Alert Subscription

Research alerts keep you updated on our latest research publications. Simply enter your contact information, choose the research alerts you would like to receive and click Subscribe. Alerts will be sent as research is published.

We respect your privacy. We will never share or sell your information.

Thank You

We appreciate your interest in Marquette Associates.

If you have questions or need further information, please contact us directly and we will respond to your inquiry within 24 hours.

Contact Us >