Weekly highlights

- Asia-US West Coast costs (FBX01 Weekly) fell 5% to $2,185/FEU.
- Asia-US East Coast costs (FBX03 Weekly) elevated 2% to $3,426/FEU.
- Asia-N. Europe costs (FBX11 Weekly) fell 15% to $2,196/FEU.
- Asia-Mediterranean costs (FBX13 Weekly) fell 15% to $2,421/FEU.
- China – N. America weekly costs elevated 4% to $5.44/kg.
- China – N. Europe weekly costs elevated 2% to $3.72/kg.
- N. Europe – N. America weekly costs elevated 3% to $1.77/kg.
Evaluation
Hurricane Ragasa precipitated vital injury in areas of Taiwan and the Philippines because it handed by means of the South China Sea early this week earlier than making landfall in China’s Guangdong province on Wednesday. Ragasa, now a tropical storm, is touring alongside the coast towards Vietnam.
The storm closed all container ports and airports in Hong Kong and southern China since Monday, with some reopening Thursday. Hapag-Lloyd expects the injury and backlog to create delays of a number of days on the main ports within the area, with vessels at Yantian presumably held up by as a lot as per week.
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The delays might be significantly disruptive for shippers nonetheless making an attempt to maneuver orders forward of the Golden Week vacation in China beginning October 1st. However, as many Asia – Europe shippers have doubtless already moved peak season items, and with transpacific peak season pulled ahead by tariff deadlines, the lull in demand anticipated in October may reduce the extent to which disruptions from the storm will probably be felt on the key tradelanes.
Transpacific container charges to the East Coast ticked up 2% final week to $3,426/FEU, however costs fell 5% to $2,185/FEU to the West Coast. Every day costs to the West Coast have slipped under $1,900/FEU to date this week.
Asia-Europe and Mediterranean spot charges continued their almost uninterrupted since mid-July decline final week, with costs falling 15% on each lanes to $2,196/FEU to Europe and $2,421/FEU to the Mediterranean. The decline pushed charges on each lanes to their lowest ranges since December of 2023. Charges proceed to slip regardless of studies that sufficient capability has been eliminated to succeed in a supply-demand steadiness, main some to recommend that a value battle is now contributing to falling charges on these lanes.
For all ex-China lanes although, congestion at Far East ports as a result of storm – along with an enhance in blanked sailings for October – may assist carriers stabilize charges as demand doubtless continues to slip into This autumn.
In commerce battle developments, President Trump and Chinese language chief Xi Jinping held a name earlier this week. The dialog focussed on reaching a TikTok decision however, in keeping with the White Home, additionally made progress on commerce points, with the US-China tariff establishment set to run out in November.
The USTR is ready to start out making use of port name charges for Chinese language carriers and China-made vessels on October 14th. Chinese language service COSCO has introduced it doesn’t anticipate disruptions to its transpacific providers and won’t introduce surcharges as a result of new charges, with different carriers, like Maersk, additionally stating they don’t plan to introduce charges as a result of new rule. In the meantime, the US’s 50% tariffs on Brazil have led to studies of sharp decreases in Brazil-US container volumes.
In air cargo, Hurricane Ragasa precipitated hundreds of flight cancellations out of airports within the affected areas, together with Hong Kong, although some flights are anticipated to renew at this time. Disruptions to ocean logistics may trigger some quick time period shift to air.
Extra broadly, the trade continues to really feel impacts from commerce war-driven shifts in sourcing and demand. Some studies, for instance, present that as China-US volumes have declined, Vietnam-US capability has doubled. Asia-Europe lanes have additionally seen quantity development as some producers discover a “US+1” technique, with carriers likewise shifting capability to the place demand is rising.
With these capability shifts between lanes accompanying adjustments in demand, Freightos Air Index knowledge present China-Europe charges of $3.72/kg have been about steady since mid-July and about even with final 12 months. An uptick to date this week to about $4.00/kg may mirror some elevated air demand resulting from a border closure in Poland that’s disrupting China-Europe rail. China-N. America costs elevated 4% final week to $5.44/kg, although final 12 months costs have been at about $5.80/kg.

