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Freight Rates Rise for Second Straight Week: US Routes Gain, Europe Dips, Persian Gulf Surges 200%
Release time：
2026-04-08
Browsing：144次
Driven by Middle East tensions, rising bunker costs, and capacity reductions, the global container shipping market is experiencing structural divergence. The Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) rose for a second consecutive week, closing at 1,854.96 points in the first week of April, up 1.54%.Route performance highlights a clear "US strong, Europe weak" pattern: Freight rates from the Far East to US West Coast and US East Coast increased by 0.3% and 2.76% respectively, while rates to Europe and the Mediterranean fell by 3.11% and 2.89%.
The Persian Gulf route stands out as the top performer, with rates hitting $3,977/TEU—a weekly gain of 6.68% and a cumulative surge of nearly 200% since the onset of the Middle East conflict, largely due to geopolitical risk premiums and constrained capacity. On the US trades, carriers are supporting rates through surcharges and blank sailings amid annual contract negotiations; MSC is set to implement another rate hike on April 8.
While export volumes are gradually recovering, demand has yet to fully materialize, indicating that current rate increases are predominantly cost- and supply-driven. Looking ahead to April, further upside of 7%-10% is expected in early April, with another wave of increases likely in the second half of the month. The market is poised to remain volatile at elevated levels with continued regional divergence.
The Persian Gulf route stands out as the top performer, with rates hitting $3,977/TEU—a weekly gain of 6.68% and a cumulative surge of nearly 200% since the onset of the Middle East conflict, largely due to geopolitical risk premiums and constrained capacity. On the US trades, carriers are supporting rates through surcharges and blank sailings amid annual contract negotiations; MSC is set to implement another rate hike on April 8.
While export volumes are gradually recovering, demand has yet to fully materialize, indicating that current rate increases are predominantly cost- and supply-driven. Looking ahead to April, further upside of 7%-10% is expected in early April, with another wave of increases likely in the second half of the month. The market is poised to remain volatile at elevated levels with continued regional divergence.