Trans-Pacific container rates hit new highs as an early, firm peak season meets typhoon congestion
Asia–U.S. West Coast spot rates rose to $7,621 per FEU and East Coast to $9,791. Typhoons have closed Shanghai and Ningbo, and some carriers are weighing Panama Canal low-water surcharges.
Article summary
- Why it matters: Ocean freight is a direct input to landed cost for imported goods, and rates to the U.S. are rising while Asia–Europe rates fall. Procurement teams buying from Asia face higher freight, longer and less predictable transit times, and possible new surcharges on East Coast routings.
- What to do first: Update landed-cost models. Use current spot and contract rates, not spring assumptions.
- Confirm allocations. Ask carriers and forwarders which sailings and volumes are protected through Golden Week.
- $7,621/FEU
- Asia–U.S. West Coast spot rate (Freightos)
- $9,791/FEU
- Asia–U.S. East Coast spot rate
- May
- when peak season began, earlier than usual
- 40–70%
- Asia–Europe rates still above May levels
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The details
Trans-Pacific rates hit new highs in the last week of August, according to Freightos data cited by FreightWaves. Asia–U.S. West Coast rose 2% to $7,621 per forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU), and Asia–U.S. East Coast rose 2% to $9,791.
Why demand is firm. Peak season started earlier than usual, in May, and has been “unexpectedly firm.” Freightos analyst Judah Levine pointed to three drivers: no additional tariff increases in July, more ocean shipments of data center hardware, and tariff refunds that let some retailers lower prices. FreightWaves’ SONAR Ocean Booking Index nonetheless sits below 2023–2025 levels, which suggests reduced effective capacity, not just demand, is lifting rates.
Typhoons and congestion. Storms since mid-July have disrupted Chinese and regional Asian ports; the latest closed ports including Shanghai and Ningbo. Carriers have skipped port calls, rerouted cargo through transshipment hubs and changed rotations, and describe the congestion as “increasingly difficult to unwind.”
Capacity and surcharges. Carriers added some trans-Pacific capacity for September ahead of Golden Week blank sailings, but planned withdrawals later in the month may limit space again. Some carriers are considering Panama Canal low-water surcharges, which would raise East Coast rates.
Elsewhere. Asia–North Europe rates are down more than $1,000 per FEU from their July peak and Mediterranean rates more than $2,000, but both remain roughly 40% to 70% above pre-peak May levels. Trans-Atlantic rates rose about $400 per FEU over two weeks as carriers cut capacity.
How far rates have moved in a year. For context, Xeneta put the China–U.S. West Coast spot average at $1,778 per FEU in September 2025. The late-August 2026 Freightos reading of $7,621 for Asia–U.S. West Coast is more than four times that level, by our comparison of the two indexes, which measure slightly different things. By early October, Xeneta’s Far East–U.S. West Coast average had risen further, to $8,336.
Why spot rates matter even if you have a contract. In a rising market, carriers can roll contract cargo when a sailing is full, pushing shippers to book at spot rates or wait. Contracted space is only as good as the allocation behind it, which is why allocation and blank-sailing terms matter as much as the rate itself.
What carriers are doing about congestion. Freightos analyst Judah Levine said omitting port calls, rerouting cargo through transshipment hubs and changing rotations protects schedules in the short term but displaces cargo and compounds backlogs, according to FreightWaves. He said the extra September capacity offers only limited near-term relief. On Asia–Europe, port congestion and disruption at transshipment hubs are what is keeping rates from falling further. Carriers have announced more trans-Atlantic increases for September, but observers doubt they will fully stick because demand on that trade has been weaker than on the trans-Pacific.
What the rate move means per unit
Freight that looks small per container can change the cost of a low-value product sharply. Take a forty-foot container holding 4,000 units of a household product:
| Rate per FEU | Freight per unit |
|---|---|
| $1,778 (China–U.S. West Coast, September 2025, Xeneta) | $0.44 |
| $7,621 (Asia–U.S. West Coast, late August 2026, Freightos) | $1.91 |
| $8,336 (Far East–U.S. West Coast, Oct. 7, 2026, Xeneta) | $2.08 |
These are our calculations; the unit count is illustrative. For a product that sells to you at $10, freight has gone from about 4% of the purchase price to about 20%. That is why landed-cost models built in the spring understate today’s cost for Asia-sourced goods, and why higher-density packing and full container loads matter more than usual.
Allocation terms to put in writing
- Weekly or monthly allocation by lane, with what happens to unused space.
- Roll protection: how cargo is prioritized if a sailing is full, and any compensation if it is rolled.
- Blank sailing notice: how much warning you get and which alternative sailing applies.
- Surcharge notice: a minimum notice period for new surcharges such as low-water or congestion fees.
- Rate validity: how long a quoted rate holds once space is confirmed.
What it means for landed cost
| Item | Effect | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Freight per container | Higher on U.S. lanes | Recalculate landed cost for Q4 and early 2027 orders |
| Transit time | Longer and less predictable | Add buffer to lead times for Asia-sourced parts |
| East Coast routings | Possible canal surcharges | Compare West Coast plus rail with all-water East Coast |
| Contract vs. spot | Spot rising faster | Confirm contracted allocations will be honored |
What procurement teams should do
- Update landed-cost models. Use current spot and contract rates, not spring assumptions.
- Confirm allocations. Ask carriers and forwarders which sailings and volumes are protected through Golden Week.
- Watch surcharges. Get advance notice of any low-water or congestion surcharges in writing.
- Pull forward critical orders. Where lead time matters more than freight cost, ship earlier.
What to watch next
- Golden Week blank sailings in late September and early October.
- Panama Canal water levels and any surcharge announcements.
- Port recovery in Shanghai and Ningbo after the typhoons.
The bigger picture
Ocean markets are diverging by trade lane. The U.S.-bound market is being driven as much by disruption and capacity management as by demand. For our later read on how this played out, see ocean rates in October and schedule reliability.
Questions procurement teams are asking
Why are trans-Pacific container rates rising in 2026?
Peak-season demand started early, in May, and stayed firm. Freightos cited no new tariff increases in July, more ocean shipments of data center hardware and tariff refunds that let some retailers cut prices. Typhoon disruptions at Chinese ports also reduced effective capacity.
Are Asia–Europe ocean rates falling?
Yes. Asia–North Europe rates fell more than $1,000 per FEU from their July peak and Mediterranean rates more than $2,000, though both remained 40% to 70% above May levels in early September.
How much has trans-Pacific container freight risen in a year?
Freightos put Asia–U.S. West Coast at $7,621 per FEU in late August 2026, more than four times Xeneta's September 2025 China–U.S. West Coast average of $1,778, by our comparison of the two indexes.
How do ocean rate increases affect product cost?
Divide the container rate by the units per container. At 4,000 units per FEU, freight rose from about 44 cents a unit at $1,778 to about $2.08 at $8,336, by our calculation.
How we reported this
This story draws on 2 sources, listed below, and reflects figures as reported on September 2, 2026. The sections on why it matters and what procurement teams should do are Procurement Signal analysis. It is not legal or financial advice. See our editorial standards.
