xChange’s Container Availability Index (CAx) looks into the entering and leaving of containers from ports on a weekly basis, covering over 10 million containers and following their journey. A CAx value of 0.5 indicates a balance, meaning that the same number of containers are leaving and entering a port in a certain week. On the other hand, a CAx value of less than 0.5 indicates that more containers are leaving the port, and a value over 0.5 indicates that more containers are entering a port in a same week.
The Container Availability Index provides a very valuable information for freight forwarders. For example, it indicates that at very low CAx values the safety stock at a specific port is nearly empty. At very high equipment levels, CAx values are likely to decrease again as a port has to reduce its safety stock first, before they can accept new incoming containers. Low CAx values over a time period of multiple weeks indicate a deficit of containers, high values indicate a surplus of equipment at a specific port.
The index crunches data together from all around the globe to allow companies to monitor the overall equipment situation. Companies can then find out whether shipping costs are in fact increasing or decreasing as a result, in order to make more informed decisions when it comes to leasing and trading containers.
Join xChange’s Webinar to get to know more about the Container Availability Index
- 4th of March at 11.30 am (CET)
- Sign up here
