Xeneta Weekly Ocean Container Shipping Market Update: Rates Softening<\/p>\n
The softening of container shipping rates on the European trades should not be read as a sign that the market is returning to normal. The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to container shipping,<\/p>\n
Xeneta analyst insight<\/p>\n
Peter Sand, Xeneta Chief Analyst<\/p>\n
\u201cConflict in the Middle East forced carriers to build entirely new service networks with little to no warning, including rerouting via land bridges such as Jeddah and alternative ports on the Indian Ocean coastline. On the European ocean container shipping trades, these new routing patterns are now established and carriers have reorganised capacity, meaning freight rates are easing from the spike in the immediate aftermath of conflict.<\/p>\n
\u201cCompared to one month ago, average spot rates from Far East are down \u22126% to North Europe and -13% to Mediterranean.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe softening on the European trades should not be read as a sign that the market is returning to normal. The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to container shipping, the ceasefire is fragile, and, while the alternative routing arrangements that carriers have put in place are stabilizing supply chains, they are still costly workarounds.<\/p>\n
\u201cUntil there is greater assurance of safe and free passage for ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the underlying drivers of disruption \u2013 longer transit times, reduced schedule reliability, congestion at alternative hubs, and elevated surcharges \u2013 will continue to hold freight rates above pre-crisis levels.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn US-bound trades from the Far East, freight rates are still elevated from one month ago as disruption in the Middle East continues to have a cascading effect through Southeast Asian transshipment hubs. Shippers moving cargo to the US via these hubs are paying the price for bottlenecks created thousands of miles away.<\/p>\n
\u201cFar East to US West Coast spot rates are up 22% over the past month, while Far East to US East Coast is up 19%. Even the Transatlantic from North Europe to US East Coast \u2013 which does not call at Asia transshipment hubs or Middle East ports \u2013 has surged 46% compared to one month ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe crisis is still very much present \u2013 it has simply migrated from the regional to the global.<\/p>\n
\u201cCarriers are actively managing capacity to prevent rates from falling freely on the European trades while also keeping the US-bound trades tight. Four of the five major fronthaul trades saw capacity decline this week, with Far East to North Europe down 6.6%. That combination of crisis-driven congestion and deliberate supply management is why rates remain elevated across the board, even where the direct impact of the conflict should be limited.\u201d<\/p>\n
Market average spot rates \u2013 23 April 2026<\/p>\n
\u2022 Far East to US West Coast: USD 2 857 per FEU<\/p>\n
\u2022 Far East to US East Coast: USD 3 871 per FEU<\/p>\n
\u2022 Far East to North Europe: USD 2 618 per FEU<\/p>\n
\u2022 Far East to Mediterranean: USD 3 665 per FEU<\/p>\n
\u2022 North Europe to US East Coast: USD 2 225 per FEU<\/p>\n
Spot rate changes over the past month \u2013 23 April vs 23 March 2026<\/p>\n
\u2022 Far East to US West Coast: +22%<\/p>\n
\u2022 Far East to US East Coast: +19%<\/p>\n
\u2022 Far East to North Europe: \u22126%<\/p>\n
\u2022 Far East to Mediterranean: \u221213%<\/p>\n
\u2022 North Europe to US East Coast: +46%<\/p>\n
Offered capacity on major fronthaul trades (4-week rolling average) \u2013 w\/c 20 April 2026<\/p>\n
\u2022 Far East to US West Coast: \u22121.0% from a week ago<\/p>\n
\u2022 Far East to US East Coast: +0.6% from a week ago<\/p>\n
\u2022 Far East to North Europe: \u22126.6% from a week ago<\/p>\n
\u2022 Far East to Mediterranean: \u22121.7% from a week ago<\/p>\n
\u2022 North Europe to US East Coast: \u22122.3% from a week ago<\/p>\n
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