By interlink | 21/05/2025

Container freight rates from Shanghai to the US have surged due to the impact of the “90-day tariff reduction period”.

Shipping Rates Soar on Trans-Pacific Routes

Over the past week, the international shipping market witnessed significant volatility as container rates from Shanghai to the US West Coast surged by 31% in just one week. According to a report released Friday by the Shanghai Shipping Exchange, this surge was primarily driven by shippers rushing to export during the 90-day tariff suspension period between the US and China.

Not only the West Coast, but container rates to the US East Coast also saw a sharp increase of 22%, reflecting a surge in demand amid limited vessel supply.

Cảng Thượng Hải - Tin tức Interlink

Shanghai Port – China’s largest seaport

Container Rate Index Continues to Reach New Highs

A report from the analytics firm Drewry yesterday also showed an escalating price trend. Specifically, the Shanghai-New York route saw a 19% increase (equivalent to $704), reaching $4,350/FEU, while the Shanghai-Los Angeles route increased by 16% ($423) to $3,136/FEU.

Drewry forecasts that freight rates on the trans-Pacific route will continue to rise next week, due to the ongoing shortage of vessel capacity.

The cause stems from trade tensions and new tariff policies.

Starting this Wednesday, tariffs on Chinese goods exported to the United States were adjusted down to 30%, a significant reduction from the 145% maintained for the previous six weeks. This unexpected move came after a joint statement from the two countries earlier this week, opening a temporary 90-day period of “pressure relief.”

The tax reduction prompted businesses to boost exports before the incentive period ended, putting significant pressure on container shipping capacity and causing freight rates to rise sharply.

Warning of supply chain congestion and disruption

According to the latest container industry report from HSBC, although shipping lines may redeploy capacity and use larger vessels in the near future, the process of relocating containers and reallocating vessels after deep capacity cuts will still take considerable time.

HSBC also warned of the potential for port congestion and domestic supply chain disruptions, a scenario that occurred during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shipping market outlook: Positive but cautious

HSBC predicts that the freight rate increases planned for mid-May and early June are likely to be maintained. In addition, the share prices of international container shipping companies have surpassed their pre-Liberation Day levels, indicating investor optimism about the short-term prospects of the shipping industry.

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