Spot rates from Shanghai to New York fell 11 per cent to $3,191 per 40-foot container, while rates from Shanghai to Los Angeles declined 12 per cent to $2,546 per 40-foot container. Carriers increased blank sailings during the week to counter softening demand following the end of the Chinese New Year cargo rush. Drewry expects freight rates to decline further in the coming weeks.
Spot rates on key Asia–Europe trade routes also continued to fall for the second consecutive week, with Shanghai–Rotterdam rates dropping 9 per cent to $2,510 per 40-foot container and Shanghai–Genoa rates falling 8 per cent to $3,520.
Rates from New York to Rotterdam decreased by 1 per cent to $983 per FEU, while Rotterdam–New York rates declined 4 per cent to $1,570 per FEU. Freight rates on the Rotterdam–Shanghai route eased 2 per cent to $502 per FEU, while Los Angeles–Shanghai rates fell 4 per cent to $705 per 40-foot container.
Amid declining freight rates, carriers are adopting divergent strategies for the Suez Canal. CMA CGM is shifting three Asia–Europe services from the Suez route to the Cape of Good Hope, while Maersk plans to resume its scheduled service from India to the USEC via the canal starting January 26.
These contrasting operational decisions suggest that effective shipping capacity will be reintroduced to the market gradually rather than all at once. This ‘drip-feed’ approach allows carriers to assess risks carefully and adjust future network deployments, helping to prevent a sharp collapse in spot freight rates.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
20251212121144.gif)
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "UBM China (Shanghai)")
-Ltd..jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Thermore (Far East) Ltd.")
