At TPM24 we are delighted to present a one-on-one conversation with Hapag-Lloyd CEO Rolf Habben Jansen. As head of the 5th largest container line and co-chair of the World Shipping Council, Rolf will comment on a wide range of topics relevant to the 2024 market including supply, demand, capacity management, service quality, Panama Canal restrictions, geopolitics including attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, decarbonization and technology. In recent public appearances he has been outspoken about the negative impact of Panama Canal navigational restrictions and what he perceives to be a disconnect between depressed freight rates and ships sailing mostly full. “Market utilization is high as reported by most carriers, which means the ships are full,” he told a webinar in early December. “There are also reports out there of boxes being rolled. Most of the talk was about a big gap between supply and demand, but I don’t see that,” he added. Present at COP28 in December, he was part of a group of carrier CEOs calling for a global carbon tax to neutralize the cost differential between zero carbon fuels and traditional bunkers, as well as other policy recommendations, a topic we will cover given the critical two-year rulemaking now commencing at the International Maritime Organization.