{
  "id": 1601407,
  "title": "Container shipping costs to Middle East continue rising in July amid conflict",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/container-shipping-costs-to-middle-east-continue-rising-in-july-amid",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-18T01:12:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/economy/20260818/container-shipping-costs-to-middle-east-continue-rising-in-july-amid-conflict"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "The Korea Times reports that container shipping costs to the Middle East have continued to rise in July, driven by ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region. According to data from the Korea Customs Service, the average shipping charge for a 40-foot container from Korea to the Middle East increased by 14.5 percent in June, reaching 8.78 million won ($6,217). This trend has been ongoing since March. The agency also noted that shipping costs to the U.S. west coast rose 11.1 percent to 8.56 million won, while costs to the east coast increased by 14.4 percent to 8.14 million won. Additionally, shipping costs to the European Union saw a significant jump of 36.4 percent to 5.68 million won. These figures encompass freight rates, commissions, and other charges reported by local exporters.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "Container shipping costs to Middle East continue rising in July amid conflict",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/container-shipping-costs-to-middle-east-continue-rising-in-july-amid-1603682",
        "published": "2026-08-18T00:41:16.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Container shipping costs to Middle East continue rising in July amid conflict",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/container-shipping-costs-to-middle-east-continue-rising-in-july-amid-1603194",
        "published": "2026-08-18T01:22:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}