Companies transporting goods from Asia face costs of as much $10,000 for an urgent full-size shipping container over the next month — about double current spot rates, according to prices circulating between carriers and importers.
Marseille, France-based CMA CGM SA, the world’s No. 3 carrier, already announced a $7,000 rate for a 40-foot container for the second half of June for goods shipped to northern Europe from Asia. That’s up from the current charge of about $5,000. For the first half of June, rates range from $6,000 to $6,500, with premium service offered at $7,500 to $10,000.
“Companies are changing stock strategies and responding to longer lead times, shifting normal shipping patterns,” said Trine Nielsen, senior director and head of ocean EMEA at Flexport Inc., a logistics technology company based in San Francisco. “Some companies are even double-booking or increasing booking numbers to secure space, adding to the noise.”
In September 2021, spot rates for 40-foot containers to the US West Coast from China soared to more than $20,000 amid a surge in demand tied to the pandemic, according to Freightos data compiled by Bloomberg. Four months later, the rate for China-to-Europe shipments peaked at almost $15,000.