New-York tribune., 1919-01-11
British Shipping !
Recaptlring Sea
Freight Business
Large Disparity in Rates to
South America - Cost
From U. S. to England
Shows a Big Drop

British shipping interests are al
ready making great drive to recapt
ure the ocean carrying trade which
they were forced to relinquish during
the war. According to information OBJ
tanned yesterday in local shipping cir
cles, British freight rates to South
American ports have been reduced so
heavily since the armistice was signed
as 70 increase substantially the normal
disparity between rates from Liver
pool to South America and rates from
New York to South America.
AS one instance it was stated by
member of a leading New York firm
that the rate on general MERCHANDISE
from Liverpool to Brazilian ports is
now $40 ton, or Sc 2-3 per cent lower
than the New York rate to stffe same
ports, whereas before the war the diff
ference was approximately 50 ton, or
40 per cent.
Advices received here are to the eff
feet that the Liverpool rate to South
American ports is around SIS a ton,
against range of $25 to $275O a ton
for shipments from New York to the
same ports.
1t is believed that this competition
Wal be extended to the shipping trade
in other parts of the world as rapidly
as British ships get back into their
normal services. Local shipping men
assert that the British undoubtedly
have the advantage over Americans, in
asmuch as they have the ships ready
to put back into the carrying trade
of the world Immediately.
Ocean Rates Lower
Ocean freight rates generally are
down about 20 per cent from the levels
that prevailed prior to the signing of
the armistice. Shipping men are in
clined to look for further reduction
shortly, and some forwarding houses
are advising their clients to wait, on
the prospect that they will be able to
get more advantageous rates on ship
ments later on. At the present. time
the rate on general merchandise ship-
ments to England from New York is
$3.50 per cubic foot of ship space, or
$1OO ton, against high record rate
during the war period of So pea cubic
foot, or $240 ton. The pre-war rate
on this class of business was 25 cents
per cubic foot, or about $40 a ton.
Prospects of lowering of freight
rates between France and New York
are said to be better. According to in
formation in the possession of the
shipping. men, plans are under way
whereby the French government will
shortly turn back the ships of the
French Line to the company. These
vessels were taken over early in the
war and have not been available for
commercial business. Their return to
private carrying trade, it is believed,
would mean a substantially lower rate.
The present rate to Bordeaux is ap-
proximately $50 a ton.
Neutral Ships Free =
All neutral steamers have >been de-
clared free agents now that the war has
ended and are available for time char
ter at any rate the owners may choose
to accept The prevailing rate pre-
vious to the release of these ships was
around 35 shillings per ton deadweight
per month on time charter 1t is un-
derstood that one neutral steamship is
being offered in the market at 81 shill-
ings per ton deadweight per month on
a threeyear time charter The rate
for time chartered boats before the war
was around 3 shillings.
Shipping men assert that eventually
the Norwegian sailing vessels, which
have been carrying most iof the trade
to South American-~ports under an
agreement with the Allied governments
which does not terminate until the
articles Of peace have been signed,
will be driven out of that trade by
the increasing activity of the steam
driven vessels, which are again COM
ing back into their own
1t is reported that undertaking of
United States Shipping Board rates
by Japanese shipping companies is re-
sensible Tor the Tying up in Manila
of number of the boards vessels.
which are unable to obtain cargoes
for early sailing.