As of late, economic conditions have forced carriers to reduce their rates to extremely low levels. Seemingly good news for shippers. However, now many carriers are saying that these rates have sunk to levels that are unsustainable, and they will be forced to raise them again in coming weeks. This could cause a couple of things to happen - first, the carriers could lose business because shippers are unable to pay more at this time for a service they are using less of. Second, if some carriers are unable to survive the recession, there will be fewer competitive options for shippers to choose from.
This article from Purchasing.com sums up the dilemma quite nicely, and also has some good ocean freight cost-cutting tips for shippers. Definitely worth taking a look at!
