The strike that shut down a swathe of US ports could help lift charter rates for container ships, in addition to hampering box trades linking the country to Europe and Latin America.

Alphaliner, a research service focused on the container sector, said the charter rate impact is possible even though carriers have been preparing for the strike.

“Chaos is expected and vessels will inevitably be seen queueing up outside ports, deviating to strike-free terminals or simply cutting short their rotations,” the firm said in its weekly report.