German container shipowners, who control a third of the world box ship fleet, are facing increasing financial difficulties and the threat of bankruptcy as charter rates test fresh lows with the end of the peak shipping season. … A 1,000-TEU geared Handy-size ship, popular among German charter owners, is earning $4,000 a day on the spot market compared with a 2008 average of $10,346 and $12,500 in 2007.
