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News Information

WEEK 22 Global Shipping Market Update

Publish Date: 2026/05/25   Views:

West Africa

Space: Tight
Rate Trend: Cargo volume continues to rise in late May. Some blank sailings and tight space persist with highly volatile pricing. Fuel prices are set to surge again in June, driving further freight rate increases. Rate changes vary:
- CMA CGM: +USD 300/600 - MSC: +USD 150/300 (additional) - Maersk: +USD 200/400 (expected) - COSCO: +USD 300/600
Early booking is strongly recommended.

East Africa

Space: Tight
Rate Trend: Cargo volume is gradually increasing with fuel surcharge hikes pushing rates in line with West Africa. Space is progressively tightening. Kenya's nationwide fuel price protests and logistics disruptions at Mombasa port are adding further pressure to East Africa supply chains. Overall rates remain firm at elevated levels.

South Africa

Space: Ample
Rate Trend: Peak season continues with rising cargo volumes and stable-to-higher freight rates. MSC South Africa rates rise by USD 600; CMA CGM South Africa fully booked through mid-June. Other carriers are still actively seeking cargo. 40NOR dry reefer containers remain available at approximately USD 500 below standard dry rates.

Thailand & Vietnam

Space: -5%
Rate Trend: Increase USD 15–30/TEU
Update: Export cargo volume growth has met carriers' expectations, keeping space supply tight. Market rates continue to push upward.

Indonesia

Space: +3%
Rate Trend: Stable
Update: Indonesian cargo growth remains steady. New service additions (Xiamen SCJX route via Xiamen-Yangzhou-Jakarta-Surabaya) have increased capacity supply. Rates flat vs. last week.

Singapore & Malaysia

Space: +6%
Rate Trend: Stable
Update: Cargo demand and capacity supply in Singapore and Malaysia are relatively balanced. No major adjustments on either side. Market rates unchanged.

Philippines

Space: Stable
Rate Trend: Increase USD 15–30/TEU
Update: Philippine import cargo is rising with declining port efficiency and congestion. Space supply is tightening, pushing rates modestly higher.

Japan & Korea

Space: Stable
Rate Trend: Stable
Update: Japan-Korea trade lanes show limited cargo elasticity. No significant rate adjustment space; rates remain at current levels.

India

Space: -3%
Rate Trend: Increase USD 100–200/TEU
Update: Indian export demand continues to strengthen while space supply is tightening. Rates are rising rapidly upward.

Middle East

Space: Tight
Rate Trend: Increase
Update: Iran's official establishment of the Persian Gulf Strait Administration Authority (PGSA) has formalized new Hormuz Strait transit regulations. FUJAIRAH and KHOR AL FAKKAN remain the primary transshipment hubs for access to the Persian Gulf. With peak season approaching, rates have edged higher. Direct services to KHOR AL FAKKAN and SOHAR are currently maintained at around USD 5,000–6,150.

Red Sea

Space: Tight
Rate Trend: Increase
Update: Peak season demand across multiple trade lanes has absorbed all available capacity, leaving no surplus vessels for redeployment. Carriers are actively controlling space to support pricing. Rates have surged sharply: Direct services to JEDDAH are maintained at around USD 6,100–7,400, while transshipment services remain around USD 3,950–5,300. Chongqing direct Red Sea rail-sea intermodal express route has officially launched via Guangzhou Nansha + RCL Red Sea Express, cutting transit time by 20% and logistics costs by 25%.

Australia & New Zealand

Space: Stable
Rate Trend: Stable
Update: Australia continues to face tight space due to accumulated cargo backlog. Freight rates remain elevated and trending upward. West Australia remains balanced with unchanged rates.

Europe & Mediterranean

Space: Stable
Rate Trend: Increase
Update: Europe and Mediterranean export demand is increase; space remains tight;freight rates are rising;vessels are expected to stay fully booked throughout June.

U.S. East Coast

Rate Trend: Continuously rising
Update: June rates expected to breach USD 5,000–6,000/FEU. U.S. East Coast market severely affected by blank sailings, with only the NUE service on the 27th available. Accumulated rolled cargo from earlier delays continues to pile up. Multiple carriers have launched emergency space recovery and batch-roll measures. End-of-month space is extremely tight; all port-of-destination and container-type change requests have been suspended. SCFI U.S. East Coast surged 11% this week to USD 3,700–3,900/FEU. Recommendation: Book early with rate hike buffer factored in.

U.S. West Coast

Rate Trend: Continuously rising
Update: June rates expected to break through USD 4,000/FEU. SCFI U.S. West Coast rose 10% this week to USD 2,700–2,900/FEU, the highest since June last year. Amazon peak season preparation for late June is driving continuous cargo surge in May. LA/LB port congestion, railroad delays, and truck shortages are pushing up detention and demurrage costs. Small and medium shippers advised to secure space early. New direct service from Qingdao to Los Angeles/Oakland launched (Wan Hai + ONE joint operation).

South America West / Mexico

Rate Trend: Increase by USD 500/500
Space: Overbooked
Update: Capacity remains tight due to heavy cargo stockpiling. COSCO will suspend South China calls on the WSA6 service starting from May.WSA5 WK23 Blank SailingWSA space has been tight recently, and heavy containers require separate confirmation.

Central America

Rate Trend: Increase by USD 500/500
Space: Overbooked
Update: COSCO has suspended Balboa-bound cargo acceptance. Cargo transshipping via Balboa to Central America (Puerto Caldera / Corinto / San Lorenzo) should be routed via Lazaro. COSCO Puerto Caldera adds Chancay transshipment routing; Corinto and San Lorenzo add Buenaventura transshipment routing.

Panama / Caribbean

Rate Trend: Increase by USD 500/500
Space: Overbooked
Update: Due to geopolitical risks, Balboa-bound cargo remains suspended. In the Caribbean region, cargo acceptance to SAN JUAN and PORT AU PRINCE remains suspended, while loading restrictions for other ports have been lifted.CAX1 WK22 Blank SailingSpace protection customers: Confirm in advance.

South America East

Rate Trend: Increase by USD 1,000/1,000
Space: Overbooked
Update: Tariff-related demand surge in May has created severe space shortages. Space protection shipments require per-booking confirmation. 40NOR containers remain relatively available; refrigerated-to-dry conversions can be pre-booked. COSCO has suspended Rosario feeder service. Rio de Janeiro faces blanking and Singapore transshipment rollover risks.


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