Platts proposes to change timestamp for Americas container box rate assessments from Jan 4, 2021

S&P Global Platts proposes to change the timestamp reflected in six Americas-linked container box rate assessments to 1:30 pm Houston time, effective Jan. 4, 2021. The assessments currently reflect the transactable value for transporting 40-ft equivalent (FEU) containers at 4:30 pm London time, in line with other Europe-linked container freight assessments.

As part of this proposed change, the six affected assessments will also follow a US publication schedule from Jan. 4, 2021. As such, there will be days when one or more assessments used in the calculation of the Platts Container Index – which is based on a weighted average of assessed routes globally – are not published. When a market is not assessed on a particular day, Platts is proposing to use the previous publication day's spot assessment in the calculation of the Platts Container Index, from Jan. 4, 2021.

The proposed change will align the Americas box rate assessments with the region's trading day and better reflect spot market liquidity on those routes. It will also bring them in line with existing Platts Bunker Charge assessments, that factor in Americas bunker fuel prices which have a Market on Close timestamp of 1:30 pm Houston.

The affected Americas box rate assessments are:

The Americas box rate assessments appear in Dry Freight Wire; on global container fixed pages SHP0510 and PGB3950; and in the Platts price database under the codes above.

Please send all feedback, comments and questions by Nov. 30, 2020, to containers@spglobal.com and pricegroup@spglobal.com. For written comments, please provide a clear indication if the comments are not intended for publication by Platts for public viewing. Platts will consider all comments received and will make written comments not marked as confidential available upon request.