Historically strong Asia-U.S. container demand has fluctuated since mid-September. The numbers change from week to week and month to month. It’s not as if trans-Pacific demand hit a peak 10 weeks ago and froze in place.
The strange thing is that spot index rates did exactly that.
Rates differ slightly based upon which source you look at, whether it’s the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI), Freightos or Drewry’s. But the pattern is the same.
As of Monday, the Freightos Baltic Daily Index assessed the Asia-West Coast (SONAR: FBXD.CNAW) spot rate at $3,875 per forty-foot-equivalent unit (FEU). It has been within a few bucks of that number since the second half of September.

“It is worth highlighting that this is the first time we have ever seen a flat development,” said Patrik Berglund, CEO and co-founder of freight-rate intelligence company Xeneta, during a company presentation on Tuesday.
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