The name of an era has changed from “Heisei ”to “Reiwa”（Beautiful Harmony）from May 1. In the Japanese history the history of the imperial family has been inherited in the existing Emperor by 126 generations more than 2,500 years. I know that a country called Japan has ticked away the history where they have not directly related to ourselves and this exactly let us be conscious of Japan. Thinking I individually exists here, DNA of my own has been inherited to me after human is born on the earth. It makes me feel deep dignity for a human being. I am proud of myself as Japanese. When a Japanese is not conscious of a country called Japan, the country called Japan does not exist.
On the other hand, there are various countries in the world. Is the history natural that a large number of races appeared and then disappeared since the dawn of history? There were many countries which disappeared from the history even if they had existed a moment of time in the past. I am afraid that it would become the old tale that there was a small country called Japan in Asia 100 years or 200 years ago?
“ Once upon a time, there was a country which opened the door to Europe and America after long national seclusion of the Edo era of 260 years and then they made themselves strong and rich by Meiji Restoration reform, which ranked with the various countries with America and Europe equally to be independent as the first country in Asia without being made a colony from them. They had brought the war damage in Asia due to their arrogant self-consciousness. However, they accomplished remarkable revival after defeat and they become No. 2 largest GDP country in the world next to the United States. In the meantime, they had been infatuated with the bubble economy and gradually disappeared from world history. As a result, they saved Asia from European and American colonization and it was Japan that let them independent, but they were not able to get away from the success experience of the past major economic power and they lost their eagerness to work hard before long and were not able to have the consciousness as the Japanese. And there was country called Japan which disappeared from the history?”
The economy of the United States is still in good health. According to the employment statistics of April the unemployment rate is 3.6%, a low level for the first time in 49 years and 4 months. The number of the employees of the non-agriculture section is 263,000 increase compared with the month before. The mean hourly wage is 3.2% up to 27.77 dollars from a year earlier. It is around 3% of growth rate of consecutive 9 months
The U.S. Government raised sanctions duty to a Chinese product for 200 billion dollars from 10% to 25% from May 10. In addition, the Chinese government expressed that they retaliated on the same day. But the U.S. government adds for the new Chinese imported product, 325 billion dollars if the Chinese government goes for retaliation. The U.S. and China trade friction presented an aspect of the long war.
Shipping Guide quotes the following statistics of the Japanese Maritime Center.
The outbound container movement of March from 18 Asia countries and the area to United States is 0.9% up to 1,218,834 TEU, plus for the first time in 2 months. In terms of a country China decreases by 10.8% to 643,476 TEU from a year earlier. Minus for 3 consecutive months. Korea increases 14.7% to 84,449 TEU. Taiwan raises 20.1% to 56,438 TEU. ASEAN is plus in all countries and increase 30.8% to 261,429 TEU. Cargo movement to North America shows a tendency moving to Asia from China. On the other hand, Japan decreases 4.5% to 59,130 TEU, minus for the first time in 6 months.
Demand for soybean transportation by container from U.S. A. to Asia increases.
It may be the cause that it attracts attention to cost a high duty for China. It is expected to be 18% up to 3,300,000 tons from a year ago in the cereals year from 2018 to 2019. The container transportation of the soybean is to apply to small volume to purchase and to minimize the stock, which is hardly supported by a bulk carrier. It is good to maintain the quality and to shorten transit time. On the other hand, it is good to move a container from U.S.A. to Asia. It brings a merit to reduce transportation cost to a soybean exporter.
It will be more expedited containerization in future.
A ship mounted with a scrubber increases from 1,700 ships of 2018 to 3,229 ships for regulation of the SOx from 2020 and doubles in the past six months. They are sorted into existing ship, 2229 ships and new ships, 857 ships. The scrubber can use conventional inexpensive high sulfur heavy oil, and it is thought with one method to lead to low-sulfur fuel oil demand, the stabilization of the price. On the other hand, under the influence of scrubber installation, the number of waiting containerships decreases, too.
As for the negotiations of the service contract (SC) of April the European route became the same level of result as the previous year because quantity of the slot capacity increased in the service. In the North America route, cargo movement usually rises for the summer season. Brisk consumption of the United States supports the economic expansion that began in July, 2009, and the United States economy is force to renew the longest after the war. And the SC negotiation of the North America route resulted a big rise due to not many ships put in the market compared with the previous year against a European route.
Ocean Network Express (ONE) announced the transportation result of 2018 (from April, 2018 to March, 2019). The loaded volume of coming and going total on the Pacific route is 3,805,000 TEU. Loaded slot ratio is 87% for outbound and 37% for inbound. Total volume of coming and going between Asia and Europe is 2,778,000 TEU. The loaded slot ratio is 88% for outbound and 55% for inbound. Both routes total became 6,583,000 TEU.
The largest month of a max loaded capacity is recorded 97% in Oct, 2018 for the Pacific route and 99% in Jan. 2019 for a European route. Total sales amount is 10.88 billion dollar. The profits and losses for this term is deficit of 585 million dollar. The sales amount of 2019 is 12.723 billion dollar. They expect the black of 85 million dollar for the current term. Their recovery is remarkable from confusion at the time of the business start.
On the other hand, I want ONE to exceed every aspect of simply Japanese 3 Lines’ integrated total earlier possible and ONE should demonstrate their individuality and originality
The new container price is $1,900 per 20f at the end of April 2019. The total of new container production in the factory in China is 902,000 TEU (Dry: 863,000 TEU, Reefer : 39,000 TEU).
The world moves regardless of us whatever happens. However, the movement is not really to have nothing to do with us. It is always only follow-up with it when we do not know the movement. Therefore, it is important for us to act at the same pace of its movement after perceiving it as quick as possible. In order to do it I want to continuously release the market report to the world from small country, Japan.