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China-US ocean: rates still firm, but schedule reliability is the bigger risk

Freight Right’s TFX update dated 16 Sep 2026 (week of 14 Sep) says China-US ocean rates rose roughly USD 500-600 per container week on week. West Coast quotes are about USD 7,000-8,000 per container; East Coast remains above USD 10,000 and can reach about USD 11,000. Freight Right’s lowest-rate indicators still show some spots near USD 6,400 to the West Coast and USD 8,500 to the East Coast. The desk stresses that booking rollovers plus delayed ETDs can add close to two weeks, so reliability now

Freight Right’s TFX update dated 16 Sep 2026 (covering the week of 14 Sep) reports that China-US ocean rates kept climbing, with carriers holding firm control of available space. Rates rose by roughly USD 500-600 per container week on week through the first half of September.

West Coast pricing is described at about USD 7,000-8,000 per container, with blank sailings and rollovers making confirmed capacity harder to secure than earlier in the month. East Coast pricing remains higher, generally above USD 10,000 and reaching about USD 11,000 in some cases. Freight Right’s lowest-rate indicators still find some spots near USD 6,400 (West Coast) and USD 8,500 (East Coast).

The operational warning is sharper than the rate print: a booking can secure space and still see departure slip several days; combined with a rollover, total delay can approach two weeks. Freight Right recommends lifting booking lead time from about one week to two to three weeks, and expects the next two weeks to be the last major ocean push before China’s early-October holiday.

Source: Freight Right

Topics

  • logistics
  • freight-rates
  • transpacific
  • golden-week

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