Idle box fleet down to 3.5%

Paris: As international shipping trade is picking up pace, the number of idle box ships is seen decreasing. The idle containership fleet has decreased by 66,000 TEU to 482,000 TEU, or 3.5%, of the existing cellular fleet, the lowest level of idling since December 2008. ??A total of 234 container vessels are currently idling, according to Alphaliner's latest survey, with only seven units above 5,000 TEU, compared to 533 idle vessels, including 52 ships of above 5,000 TEU in the same month last year.  [21/06/10]