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Xeneta, trusted by the world's biggest buyers & sellers of containerized and air freight

Ocean freight budgets are set against a market that moves. Long-term contract rates shift between tender rounds, and disruptions can reset the market mid-cycle.

Xeneta's 3- and 6-month forecasts, powered by AI and machine learning, cover major ocean freight corridors — built on the world's most trusted freight data and enriched by our market analysts' commentary.

Ocean Freight Rate Data at Scale

 What make Xeneta’s Ocean Freight Rate Data Unique

Xeneta market rate outlook are powered by historical actual rates paid by shippers and forwarders across the globe — not carrier data — so every benchmark stays neutral and independent.

800m+

Actual contracted rates

powering our market rate outook

3- & 6-month

Forward view

on long-term contracts

7

Major corridors

covered globally

XENETA MARKET RATE OUTLOOK DATA

What's in the dataset


Market Rate Outlooks

Xeneta's Market Rate Outlook are predictive ocean freight rate forecasts covering 3- and 6-month views of long-term contracted rates for 40'DC containers on major corridors. Built from historical contract data, machine learning, and expert validation. Updated monthly with quarterly analyst commentary.

What's included

  • 3-month and 6-month forecasts on long-term rates
  • Predicted range plus consensus view
  • 40' DC containers on major corridors: Far East Main, Mediterranean Main, North Europe Main, South America East Coast Main, South East Asia Main, US East Coast Main, US West Coast
  • Monthly updates with quarterly expert commentary

 

 

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Use Case Scenarios

When you'll use this data

 

01

Forecasting & budgeting

Freight budgets built on last year's numbers start misaligned and drift further all year. Xeneta's 3 and 6-month outlooks give a market-aligned view on major corridors, so budgets reflect where the market is predicted to head, not where it's been.

02

Sourcing & tendering (RFP timing)

The decision to tender early, tender late, or hold a long-term contract through another cycle depends on where you think rates are going. Xeneta's outlook gives you a defensible view — grounded in actual contracted-rate data, validated by our experts — to support the call.

03

Market analysis

When an executive asks 'where are rates heading?', the answer has to hold up. Xeneta gives you the data plus the expert perspective that carries weight in boardrooms and customer conversations.

Sources & data processing

How the data is collected

Xeneta's rate outlooks are built on the same foundation as our core freight rate benchmarks— actual contracts from our community of shippers and freight forwarders — combined with AI and machine learning models, and reviewed by our expert analysts.

01
Collect
Actual contracts

Collect contracted rates data from our community of shippers and freight forwarders, alongside macroeconomic indicators and market signals.

02
Cleanse
Error-checked

Correct the data for any errors before it enters the model.

03
Normalize
Normalized

Structure historical rates, macro indicators, and market signals into inputs the forecasting model can compare and weight.

04
Validate
Expert-validated

Machine learning predictions are created and are reviewed and validated by Xeneta's senior shipping experts before publication.

05
Deliver
Delivered how you need it

3 and 6-month rate outlooks are published in the platform with predicted ranges and consensus views. The Xeneta ocean rate outlooks deliver the strategic view.

Our data standards

Trusted & Certified

 

Xeneta's data is built on enterprise-grade security, privacy, and independence — trusted by the world's largest shippers and quoted by leading global news outlets.

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ISO 27001:2022 Certified
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Quoted by WSJ, FT, Reuters
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GDPR Compliant

Frequently asked questions

The most common questions we hear from procurement, supply chain, and freight forwarding teams evaluating Xeneta.  

How does Xeneta calculate freight rate forecasts?

Xeneta's in-house forecasts methodology combines historical contracted rates data with machine learning, analyst expertise, and community insights — drawing on operational indicators (containership order book, deployed capacity, blanked sailings, import/export volumes) along with macroeconomic signals (fuel prices, GDP, PMI, private consumption). Outputs are reviewed by Xeneta's market analysts before publication, so you get both the data-driven prediction and the human interpretation. Forecasts cover 3- and 6-month views on 40'DC long-term rates across seven major regions, updated monthly with quarterly commentary.

Which corridors have forecasted future freight rate outlooks?

Major corridors: Far East Main, Mediterranean Main, North Europe Main, South America East Coast Main, South East Asia Main, US East Coast Main, and US West Coast. Forecasts are published for 40' DC containers on long-term contracted rates.

Do the forecasted rates take market disruptions or black swan events into consideration?

No. The outlook isn't designed to forecast black swan events — pandemics, conflicts, canal closures, or similar shocks. When such events occur, Xeneta's senior experts update the outlook rates to reflect the new reality, but the model itself tracks structural indicators rather than tail-risk events.

How are Xeneta’s forecasts different from other rate forecasts?

Other companies publish freight rate forecasts grounded in consulting expertise only, or model-driven forecasts grounded in a spot rate-based index. Xeneta's approach combines both — predictive models built on 800M+ actual contracted rates, validated by senior shipping experts. You get the data depth plus the human interpretation.

What is the Xeneta Ocean Outlook Report?

The Xeneta Ocean Outlook is Xeneta's strategic view of the ocean freight market — published as a report covering supply/demand balance, carrier dynamics, regulatory developments, and the structural forces shaping contracted rates. It's built by Xeneta's senior shipping experts and updated periodically as market conditions evolve.

 

 

See the data in action

Speak with our team to see the data in action on your lanes, your carriers, and the decisions you're working through right now.
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