Rushing shipments, bursting of cabins, soaring freight rates

Sunny Worldwide LogisticsIt is a logistics company with more than 20 years of transportation experience, focusing on markets such as Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, and Southeast Asia. It is more of a cargo owner than a cargo owner~

According to industry information, in order to cope with the shipment peak before the Lunar New Year, major container shipping companies are actively seizing market opportunities and plan to universally implement the comprehensive rate increase surcharge (GRI) from January 2026. Industry assessments show that the planned freight rate increase is significant, and the overall increase is expected to reach 30% to 40%.

Market quote dynamics reflect this trend. Specifically:

*Freight rates for the route from the Far East to the West Coast of the United States,The current level is about US,188 per 40-foot container, and after adding GRI, it is expected to rise to US,000-3,100.

*Routes from the Far East to the East Coast of the United States,The current freight rate is approximately US,033 per 40-foot container, and is expected to rise to US,800-3,900 after adding GRI.

*Regarding European routes,At the end of December, the freight rate from the Far East to the basic port in Europe was approximately US,690 per 20-foot container. After adding GRI, the price is expected to increase to US,800-3,000, with a relatively significant range.

*In contrast,Far East to Mediterranean routeThe freight rate is currently about US,143 per 20-foot container, and the impact of this GRI adjustment is expected to be relatively limited.

In terms of market trends, the Shanghai Export Container Freight Index (SCFI) has risen for three consecutive weeks in December last year, and all major ocean routes have shown general increases. Based on the current demand situation analysis, shipping market freight rates before the Spring Festival are expected to remain upward. Many shipping companies have also officially announced GRI adjustment plans that will take effect in January 2026.

Industry analysts pointed out that the freight rate increase in early January is expected to be successfully implemented, but how long its price increase effect can last in the market will largely depend on whether the actual shipment momentum in mainland China and Southeast Asia can be sustained before the Spring Festival.

In addition, entering 2026, against the background of adjustments to U.S. tariff policies and the continued restructuring of global supply chains, freight volume in Southeast Asia is expected to maintain growth, which will further drive transportation demand for intra-Asian routes.

It is worth noting that the sales performance of the US market during the past Christmas and New Year holidays exceeded retailers' expectations. Previously, many retailers adopted conservative low-stock strategies due to concerns about the impact of tariffs. Now that sales are improving, it is expected that there will be a wave of demand for inventory replenishment starting in January. This release of demand has also caused freight demand to heat up ahead of the Lunar New Year, thus boosting freight rates on North American and European routes.