Feature, Freight News, Logistics, Sea

Container Rates See Unexpected Boost, Xeneta

[ September 25, 2025   //   Gary Burrows ]

Average container market spot rates from Far East increased 4.3 percent the week of Sept. 18 into both the U.S. East Coast (US$2,374 per 40-foot equivalent units) and West Coast (US$3,317 per FEU), said Xeneta, the freight rate benchmarking and market analytics platform.

Prior to the latest uptick, spot rates had been softening from a significant spike on Sept. 1, when average spot rates increased 13.5 percent into the East Coast and 27.9 percent into the West Coast. Compared to Aug. 31, average spot freight rates on Sept. 18 are up 30 percent in the West Coast and 16.2 percent into the East Coast. 

The current spread in average spot rates between the two U.S. coasts is widening again, now standing at US$942 per FEU, Xeneta said.

“The sharp spot rate spike on the transpacific at the start of September was a surprise to many and we see another uptick mid-month. Shippers will be wondering what on earth is driving this increase when the expectation was for further softening in freight rates,” said Peter Sand, Xeneta’s chief analyst. “If shippers are prepared to call the carriers’ bluff, we will see the mid-month increases fall away pretty quickly with softening spot rates for the remainder of the month.”

It is a different story from Far East to North Europe and Mediterranean where average spot rates continue to decline, down 22.5 percent and 14 percent respectively from 31 August. From a week ago, the average rate is down 7.6 percent into North Europe and 4.4 percent into the Mediterranean.

“The decline in average spot rates has been much harder into North Europe compared to Mediterranean, but that could change in the coming weeks,” Sand said. “Rolling weekly average capacity on the trade into Mediterranean is set to increase to 208 000 TEU by the end of the month while remaining steady into North Europe. This could see the pace of spot rate decline quicken into Mediterranean and a narrowing spread with rates into North Europe.”

Average spot rates on the transatlantic trade from North Europe to U.S. East Coast have not fallen further, settling in the past week at US$1,806.

Tags: Xeneta