Boxship charter rates could rise to cover IMO 2020 costs

Some liner operators appear exposed to potentially higher charter rates next year as shipowners seek to recoup the costs of installing scrubbers.

Liner operators are deploying a range of different strategies ahead of the IMO 2020 sulphur cap, with some such as Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) investing heavily in scrubbers for their owned fleet, and others, including Ocean Network Express (ONE), set to rely on potentially more expensive low-sulphur fuel oil (LSFO).