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.