The service provided by container shipping lines has deteriorated since 2016, and is now seen by importers, exporters and freight forwarders as more problematic, according to the second annual shipper satisfaction survey released by Drewry, UK, and the European Shippers’ Council (ESC), Belgium.

Container freight rates are forecast to rise modestly over the next 18 months from the all-time lows reached recently, but this will not be sufficient to rescue the industry from substantial losses in 2016.