Reefer capacity on the containership fleet is expected to increase by 22 percent over the next five years, at the expense of a declining specialized reefer fleet, according to Drewry's latest Reefer Shipping Market Annual Review & Forecast.
Moving perishable commodities like fruits, flowers and fresh seafood to the far corners of the world once was feasible only by air, making the price of these products prohibitive for most consumers. Thanks to a new generation of refrigerated ocean containers, however, perishable goods increasingly are being shipped by more efficient water transport. This shift is opening up new markets to producers and providing a growing, global middle class with affordable access to the fresh foods they want to buy.
