Container shipping demand is projected to grow 3-5% this year over 2014, but freight rates are expected to be on a slight decline, according to Lars Mikael Jensen, chief executive of Asia Pacific region at Maersk Line.

On the supply side, growth is anticipated at 5-7%, putting demand and supply growth close to the same pace for the rest of this year and possibly into 2016 as well, Jensen said.

“We are looking at a demand growth of 3-5% in 2015; it is still a healthy growth and obviously differing from trade to trade,” he told Seatrade Global, adding that container trades in some regions like West Africa and South America have been impacted by oil price fluctuations.

Maersk Line has also observed an overall trend that the average revenue per box is declining amid the rate fluctuations seen in some trades, due mainly to the supply-demand situation.

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