Skip to content
Seven Colorsourcing.center by Seven Color Trading Co Ltd · China

China desk · sourcing news

Brief

Asia-US box rates near Covid peaks: USWC $7,960 / USEC $11,259 FEU; Oct push before Golden Week

FreightWaves (18 Sep 2026), citing Xeneta data as of 17 September, reports Far East to US West Coast spot rates at $7,960 per FEU and Far East to US East Coast at $11,259 per FEU. Those levels are about 18% and 11% below Covid-era highs ($9,699 and $12,683 FEU) and more than quadruple since late February before the Hormuz disruption. Xeneta expects one more carrier rate push in early October as shippers rush cargo ahead of China's Golden Week factory slowdown, while offered East Coast capacity i

FreightWaves reported on 18 September 2026 that Xeneta spot averages as of 17 September put Far East-US West Coast at $7,960 per FEU and Far East-US East Coast at $11,259 per FEU. Xeneta chief analyst Peter Sand said those trades are up about 324% and 325% since the pre-Hormuz baseline at end-February, leaving them roughly 18% and 11% short of the Covid peaks set in early 2022.

Sand said rising bunker costs could lift fuel surcharges further and that if a new all-time high prints, the East Coast lane is the likelier candidate. Carriers have already added Far East-US East Coast capacity: Xeneta puts September offered capacity 6% to 7% above August as lines try to monetize the hot market before a possible turn in two to three weeks.

Xeneta still expects one more early-October rate push as exporters pull cargo forward ahead of Golden Week shutdowns, after which the pace of increases may slow even if absolute rates stay elevated. Parallel Xeneta lane prints in the same report show Far East-North Europe at $4,103 FEU (+84.9% since 28 Feb) and Far East-Mediterranean at $4,434 FEU (+33.2%), underscoring that the sharpest pressure remains on Asia-US trades.

Source: FreightWaves / Xeneta

Topics

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

All news

USTR Greer: US-China trade truce extension talks continue; 3-6 months likely range

On 21 September 2026, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told Bloomberg Television that Washington and Beijing remain divided on terms for extending the tariff ceasefire that expires 10 November 2026. He said an extension is unlikely to be announced this week ahead of the 24 September Trump-Xi summit, but that three to six months is "probably the right kind of range" and that talks will continue. Greer tied US preference for incremental extensions to monitoring Chinese rare-earth export limi

Section 301 excess-capacity tariffs delayed past Sep 24 Trump-Xi summit; 7.5% still base case

FreightFigures (18 Sep 2026), citing Bloomberg and Inside U.S. Trade (17 Sep), reports the administration is expected to delay announcing Section 301 "structural excess capacity" tariffs until after the 24 September Trump-Xi summit in Washington. Before the delay, a USTR report recommending a 7.5% additional duty on Chinese products had been expected ahead of the meeting. The rate and effective date remain unpublished. FreightFigures notes the forced-labor Section 301 layer (12.5% for China sinc

Maersk Golden Week blanks: AE15 Qingdao 28 Sep; AE12/AE1 and TP8/TP12 early Oct

Maersk’s Golden Week advisories list concrete blank sailings on Asia–Europe and Transpacific strings as China’s Mid-Autumn (25–27 Sep) and National Day (1–7 Oct) holidays approach. Asia–Europe: AE15 640W/645E first load Qingdao ETD 28 Sep; AE12 641W/648E Ningbo ETD 8 Oct; AE1 641W/648E Shanghai ETD 10 Oct. Transpacific: TP8 640E Busan blanking proforma 9 Oct (eastbound) and TP8 644W Los Angeles 1 Nov (westbound); TP12 641E Ningbo 9 Oct (eastbound) and TP12 647W Newark 18 Nov (westbound). Maersk

Gemini AE5/AE11/AE12/ME2 shift to Suez; first westbound sailings 19–24 Sep

Maersk (14 Sep 2026) says Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd will move four Gemini services — AE5, AE11, AE12 and ME2 — from the Cape of Good Hope to the trans-Suez route. They join AE15 and AE19 already using Suez. Westbound first sailings: AE11 Antonia Maersk 635W (Tanjung Pelepas ETD 19 Sep), AE5 Marchen Maersk 635W (Tanjung Pelepas ETD 21 Sep), ME2 Cornelia Maersk 638W (Colombo ETD 24 Sep). AE12’s first sailing will be announced later. Changes remain conditional on Red Sea stability.

Dated desk notes, not a news feed Updates.

Need the factory-floor read on a story?

The China desk can map a cited development to your SKU, QC, and lane, from Xiamen, with Dubai 3PL when the stock needs a hub.

Get a quote in 24hWhatsAppI have a new product idea
  • D&B registered
  • Xiamen + Dubai hubs
  • Fast WhatsApp response
  • Factory network
WhatsAppAsia-US box rates near Covid peaks: USWC $7,960 / USEC $11,2