SUBSCRIBER NOTE: Platts to add new N Asia box rates, amend UK Cont rates

S&P Global Platts will begin publishing four new North Asia box rate assessments and amend two existing UK Continent assessments, with effect from December 1, 2017.

Platts received market feedback that box rates for routes commencing, or ending, in the UK and heading to North Asia differ observably from those commencing, or ending, in North Europe.

Platts will amend its existing UK Continent to North Asia and North Asia to UK Continent assessments to reflect only routes commencing or ending in north Europe and will rename both assessments. This means that the existing assessment PBR1 will be renamed from "North Asia to UK Continent" to "North Asia to North Continent" and PBR2 will be renamed from "UK Continent to North Asia" to "North Continent to North Asia."

Platts will also launch new assessments reflecting rates to and from the UK, in addition to new transpacific assessments.

The four new routes will be: North Asia to UK UK to North Asia North Asia to West Coast North America (Transpacific) West Coast North America to North Asia (Transpacific)

The new daily assessments will reflect the freight prices of carrying forty-foot equivalent (FEU) containers on selected front-haul and back-haul container routes. These new assessments will be published along with existing box rates on the fixed page PGA - MH3950 and on the Dry Freight Wire. The new assessments will be published on a $/FEU basis, to reflect how these routes are traded.

The Platts Container Index (PCTRI00), which is based upon a weighted average of the 10 spot routes that Platts assesses, will change to include the new routes, bringing the total number of base assessments to 14 routes. The percentages have been derived from Platts cFlow analysis, based on AIS data tracking ship movements between regions. The percentages in the weighted average undergo regular revisions.

The new assessments will reflect established global container trade routes and are based on modern container carrier tonnage.

Please send any comments or questions to shipping@platts.com and pricegroup@platts.com.

For written comments, please provide a clear indication if comments are not intended for publication by Platts for public viewing. Platts will consider all comments received and will make comments not marked as confidential available to the public upon request.