In the latest edition of Dutch consulting firm Dynamar's routine analysis of the global reefer market and its players, Baltic Reefers finished first ahead of Belgian-based operator Seatrade, in a sector that is continuously losing ground to the major container carriers which also offer significant reefer capacity.
The analysis confirms that freight rates for reefer containers increased non-stop throughout 2017, in a market where Maersk Line, after its acquisition of Hamburg Süd, will transport close to one in four reefer containers, thus controlling around 25 percent of the total market. 
The average reefer rate since the low point 1-2 years ago has now more than quadrupled from around USD 700 in 2016 for a 40-foot container to USD 2,900-3,100 by the end of 2017. The surging rates can likely be traced back to the consolidation among the biggest container carriers and the new alliances, which has given them more negotiation power against shippers, while scarcity of reefer containers in several places, including Brazil, one of the world's biggest food exporters, has played a key part in rate developments, according to Dynamar and Drewry.
This marks the first time that Baltic Reefers, including subsidiary Cool Carriers, tops the Top 10 with a market share of 12.4 percent among the so-called conventional reefer operators. According to Bloomberg, Baltic Reefers is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Source: Shipping Watch
