But no pandemic high: Asia-US container rate at $9,600
Trans-Pacific container rates remain near peak-season highs amid resilient U.S.-bound demand and congestion in Asia. The post But no pandemic high: Asia-US container rate at $9,600 appeared first on FreightWaves .
Asia-US container rates reached $9,600 per forty foot equivalent unit (FEU) last week, maintaining a near peak-season high, according to Freightos data. This is despite port congestion in the Far East and canceled sailings, which are keeping trans-Pacific spot rates at elevated levels. Asia-West Coast prices rose 4% to over $8,100/FEU, while East Coast rates remained roughly flat at about $9,600/FEU.
The divergence in Asia-Europe pricing is attributed to a surge in demand for trans-Pacific shipments ahead of China’s Golden Week holiday, with carriers managing capacity through blanked sailings. While current rates show some comparison to pandemic-era levels, they remain well below the extreme rates observed in September 2021, when Covid-19 import surges and severe port congestion pushed prices above $20,000/FEU.
The current market situation is more comparable to the 2024 peak season, when Red Sea diversions limited effective vessel capacity.
Written by urgent.news from FreightWaves's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
