UK-based shipbroking house Clarksons has expanded its derivatives arm with the launch of a dedicated desk for container freight forward agreements (FFAs), marking a significant move into a growing segment of the freight risk management market.
The new container FFA desk will be led by Peter Stallion, who joins the London office with a strong track record in container freight derivatives. Stallion is credited with brokering the first over-the-counter (OTC) and exchange-settled container FFA trades, including the first SGX-listed contract.
Clarksons said the addition of a container-focused desk—the eighth desk in its derivatives division—further strengthens its ability to help clients manage freight rate volatility across all key shipping sectors.
Ben Courtney, managing director of derivatives at Clarksons, added that Stallion’s expertise was instrumental in establishing the company’s container FFA desk, for a “dynamic and evolving market, with potential to bring much-needed stability to shipping businesses.”
The move comes as container futures contracts prepare to launch on two exchanges later this year.
Stallion noted that the container freight market is inherently volatile, with prices shaped by disruptions like the Suez Canal blockage, Panama Canal drought, and capacity shifts and that freight swaps and options provide shipping stakeholders with tools to manage risk, and that “Clarksons is the optimum place to drive container FFAs forward”.
