XENETA WEEKLY OCEAN CONTAINER SHIPPING MARKET UPDATE - 04.09.25

Data highlights

Market average spot rates – 4 September 2025:

• Far East to US West Coast: USD 2010 per FEU (40ft container)
• Far East to US East Coast: USD 2976 per FEU
• Far East to North Europe: USD 2507 per FEU
• Far East to Mediterranean: USD 2983 per FEU
• North Europe to US East Coast: USD 1831 per FEU

Market mid-high spot rates (%-change from a week ago)

• Far East to US West Coast: USD 2414 per FEU (+29.2%)
• Far East to US East Coast: USD 3398 per FEU (+15.2%)

Market mid-low spot rates (%-change from a week ago)

• Far East to US West Coast: USD 1650 per FEU (+2.2%)
• Far East to US East Coast: USD 2564 per FEU (+0.5%)
  
  Note: The Xeneta mid-high is the spot rates paid by shippers in the 75^th percentile of the market. Mid-low by shippers in the 25^th percentile of the market.
  
  

• The average spot rates from Far East into North Europe continues to set itself apart from the trend seen into the Mediterranean. Declining by 8.5% from a week ago, the freight rates have fallen faster than the 4.2% decline from Far East into the Mediterranean.
  
  
• The development from one month ago shows average spot freight rates into the Mediterranean have fallen 11.3%, whereas the rate into North Europe is down 25.7%. 
  
  
• A clear indication of a very dynamic market, noting that the rate into Mediterranean dropped 17% in July, while into North Europe it was unchanged at large in the same period.
  
  
• Spot market rates into the Mediterranean and North Europe have now been consistently falling since mid-June and early-July respectively.
  
  
• After almost consistently falling since June, the average spot rates into the US West Coast and US East Coast from the Far East has bucked that trend in September.
  
  
• Market mid-high on the Transpacific trade from Far East to US West Coast has increased 29.2% from a week ago at USD 2414 per FEU.
  
  
• Market mid-high on the Transpacific trade from Far East to US East Coast has increased 15.2% from a week ago at USD 3398 per FEU. These are generally the rates paid by shippers who are willing to accept higher cost to get goods moving due to a raft of reasons.
  
  

Xeneta analyst insight - Transpacific

Peter Sand, Xeneta Chief Analyst:

“The drama is in the higher end of the market on the fronthaul trades from the Far East to US.

“The market average spot rate into the US West Coast has increased 9.4% from a week ago, but there are a range of sub-plots happening within that average rate. The drama is found in the market mid-high which has increased 29.2% from a week ago. 

“Meanwhile the market mid low has only increased 2.2%. This shows how different shippers are impacted in very different ways. Larger volume shippers who tend to occupy the market mid-low are still shipping goods at almost the same rate as a week ago. 

“It is a different story for the smaller shippers who may not have the same negotiating power or market insight to push back against increasing rates. These smaller shippers face a different reality, and their nervousness is seeing them pay the higher rate.”

Ends

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