Container shipping under pressure as peak season hopes dim

One of the earlier scenarios for container shipping's 2023 peak season went like this: Importers would get cocky and keep much of their business in the spot market. Shipping lines would heavily curtail trans-Pacific transport capacity. America's inventory overhang would evaporate just as holiday imports ramped up. Spot rates would jump — just as they did in 2020's peak season after COVID lockdowns — and importers without sufficient contract coverage would get caught out. No one's really talking about that one anymore. Inventory destocking has gone on longer than expected. Pressures on consumer demand are building. Trans-Pacific shipping capacity is…