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0 pointsservercobra4y ago0 comments

On a long enough timeframe and nothing else changing, yes it would just fill up. Realistically, it gives them breathing room to get the rest of the rate up.

I am curious what the costs of making a new container and recycling the old instead of shipping them back is. Trade isn't symmetrical. I assume shipping them back is cheap because otherwise the ships are going back nearly empty, so it's almost free to ship them back.

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2 comments · 1 top-level

smileysteve4y ago· 1 in thread

I've read anecdotes that China is making new containers instead of accepting old containers. This could be because buffers aren't getting them back in time or because China needed a new market for steel

bluGill4y ago

Containers have a lifespan, so China has always been making containers. When containers don't come back you can buy a new one. Shipping them back empty is a lot cheaper than buying a new one, but only if you can get them shipped back. The price to ship a container back empty is low enough that some ships decide it isn't worth it.

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