By interlink | 14/08/2025

Container freight rates on the Asia-North America route continue to fall sharply despite shipping line cuts.

Asia-North America Container Freight Rates Plummet

The Trans-Pacific shipping market continues to see a sharp decline in container freight rates. According to the latest data from Xeneta, spot rates from the Far East of Asia to the United States have fallen significantly since June, despite shipping lines’ efforts to reduce capacity.

  • Far East → US West Coast: $2,098/FEU (down 3% from July 31st, down 62% from June 1st).
  • Far East → US East Coast: $3,311/FEU (down 9% from July 31st, down 53% from June 15th).

Since the end of June alone, freight rates to the US East Coast have fallen by another 9%, to $2,015/FEU.

Cause: Oversupply and weak demand

Peter Sand, Director of Analysis at Xeneta, noted that shipping lines have significantly increased blank sailings to limit supply. From 30,000 TEU/week (June 22nd), this figure has risen to 57,000 TEU/week (August 1st).

However, the global overcapacity of the container fleet and the gloomy demand forecast make maintaining high freight rates difficult, “like trying to block the flow of water.”

Consequences: Port congestion and container backlog in China

The increased number of cancellations has caused severe congestion at several major Chinese container ports. Many containers are backlog at the terminals, with shippers using the ports as temporary storage while waiting for space on ships.

This not only affects shipping schedules but also increases storage costs, impacting the global supply chain.

Comparison of Freight Rates in Europe and the Mediterranean

Besides the North American route, Xeneta also recorded freight rate trends from the Far East to Europe:

  • Far East → Northern Europe: US$3,330/FEU, stable after a 78% increase (May 31–July 1) and a 2% decrease since then.
  • Far East → Mediterranean: US$3,372/FEU, down 7% from July 31 and down 26% since June 15.

The price difference between these two routes is now only US$42/FEU, compared to US$1,765 on June 1.

According to experts, if the oversupply and weak demand continue, container freight rates on the Asia-North America route will continue to fall in the coming months. Shipping lines may continue to adjust capacity, but the likelihood of reversing the current trend is very low.

NEWS & BLOG

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