Rates for shipping containers from east Asia and China to the US edged slightly lower this week as tighter capacity from blanked sailings slowed the rate of decrease.
Rates from supply chain advisors Drewry were down by 1% from Shanghai to Los Angeles and essentially flat from Shanghai to New York, as shown in the following chart.
Drewry said they expect the number of blanked sailings this week to be less than the previous week as factories gradually return to full production after the Lunar New Year holiday and anticipate that spot rates on this trade should remain stable next week.
Rates from online freight shipping marketplace and platform provider Freightos fell by 3% to the West Coast and by 1% to the East Coast.
Judah Levine, head of research at Freightos, said it is unlikely that the recent Supreme Court decision striking down the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs will spur a round of frontloading.
“For US shippers, the immediate question is whether or not these developments justify frontloading before the July deadline,” Levine said. “Where the 15% rate represents a meaningful reduction – like for Brazil – we may see a quick increase in volumes. And a five-percentage point reduction for tariffs on goods out of China and Vietnam may be enough to spur frontloading by some shippers, meaning we may see some signs of increased demand as soon as manufacturing restarts post-Lunar New Year in a week or so.”
But Levine said that for most shippers, the relatively modest tariff reduction for most countries may not be enough to trigger a significant pull forward.
Rates from ocean and freight rates analytics firm Xeneta were essentially flat to both coasts.
Peter Sand, chief analyst at Xeneta, said the nuanced impact of the US Supreme Court tariff ruling could be a contributing factor to an expected increase in average spot rates at the beginning of March, reversing the downward trend in 2026 so far.
“There is unlikely to be a cargo rush but talk alone can influence market sentiment and unnerve shippers,” Sand said. “Coupled with massive blanked sailings, this will cause upward pressure on freight rates and a welcome boost for carriers.”
Rates from global logistics company Freight Right on its TrueFreight Index (TFX) were steady this week.
Robert Khachatryan, founder and CEO of Freight Right Logistics, said rates have held firm at the low levels established earlier in the month, with almost no price movement recorded week over week due to the total shutdown of manufacturing and logistics activity in Asia.
Looking ahead, Khachatryan said the industry is now focused on the post-holiday recovery in March.
“Shippers should anticipate a period of catch up as factories reopen, though the strength of this recovery will depend on whether carriers can find ways to push rates above current breakeven levels,” Khachatryan. “A key milestone to watch will be the release of new contract rates toward the end of March, which will signal whether carriers intend to maintain these low levels or implement aggressive capacity management to force a market correction.”
Container ships and costs for shipping containers are relevant to the chemical industry because while most chemicals are liquids and are shipped in tankers, container ships transport polymers, such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), are shipped in pellets. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is also shipped in containers.
They also transport liquid chemicals in isotanks.
LIQUID TANKER RATES
Rates for liquid chemical tankers ex-US Gulf were largely stable this week, with downward pressure on the transatlantic eastbound trade lane and for parcels from the US Gulf to Brazil.
Vessels on the transatlantic eastbound route are in a holding pattern for mid- to late-March loading as they wait for contract of affreightment (COA) nominations to firm. Therefore, the spot market is relatively quiet this week, although several parcels of styrene, caustic soda, ethanol and various glycols were reported.
Rates to Brazil held steady as the market is relatively quiet with limited space available for spot volumes for early-March lading. The route is predominantly dominated by solid COA nominations. Ethanol, caustic soda and EDC remain the cargoes that are most seen in the market.
From the USG to Asia, there are very little gaps of vessel space showing February and well into March. As with the other trade lanes, COA volumes into Asia continue to utilize the majority of available space providing owners support to maintain current freight levels. However, following the Lunar New Year activities, restocking could provide upward pressure on spot freight activity. Overall, the route saw an uptick in fresh inquiries for MEG and ethanol for March loadings.
Bunker fuel to remain volatile following the energy markets amid heightened geopolitical tensions in the middle east.
Source: By Adam Yanelli, ICIS, Additional reporting by Kevin Callahan,
