If memory serves well, the lockdowns in China in early 2020 meant they lost a couple 100k TEUs of export volume. These containers are bow missing elsewhere. Lockdowns in Europe and the US and so on didn't help neither.
And we have to remember that container rates have been quite low for quite a while. So any "excuse" to increase rates is welcome. What I saw since last year is, that carriers and shipping lines are offering much shorter demurrage free periods than, say, two years ago. There was a time two weeks without demurrage fees, now that is a day or so. Containers turned into a rare commodity it seems.
And we have to remember that container rates have been quite low for quite a while. So any "excuse" to increase rates is welcome. What I saw since last year is, that carriers and shipping lines are offering much shorter demurrage free periods than, say, two years ago. There was a time two weeks without demurrage fees, now that is a day or so. Containers turned into a rare commodity it seems.