On 25 September 2026, The Loadstar reported that with the last sailings before China’s Golden Week (1 October) approaching, container spot rates on the transpacific trades finally began to tail off after rising consistently since late August.
Drewry’s World Container Index showed Shanghai–New York at $10,373 per 40ft—a very marginal decline after last week’s breach of $10,000—while Shanghai–Los Angeles rose 2% to $7,838 per 40ft, a slower gain than over the past month.
US West Coast forwarder Freight Right said carriers are increasingly rolling bookings or canceling confirmed slots, citing vessel space and weight limits, and that bunched arrivals are disrupting hinterland distribution. It described vessel schedules as highly volatile, with ships arriving three to four days early or several days late.
Although Drewry expects transpacific rates to ease next week, Freight Right warned spots may firm again in the final days before Golden Week as carriers prioritise higher-paying cargo. Separately, a further round of general rate increases of about $2,000–$3,000 per 40ft is due on 1 October.
Asia–Europe continued its decline since early July: Shanghai–Rotterdam fell 4% to $3,485/FEU and Shanghai–Genoa 5% to $3,835/FEU. Drewry said recovering Suez capacity outweighs blank sailings (seven scheduled next week versus three this week). On the transatlantic, Rotterdam–New York remained elevated at $3,121/FEU (+72% year on year); Speed Global Logistics’ Steffen Manz called Q4 a “classic supply-demand mismatch” as Canadian importers pivot toward Europe while carriers blank capacity.