Transpacific container spot rates remain at multi‑year highs, driven by Middle East port congestion, elevated fuel prices and reduced effective vessel capacity. Market benchmarks such as the SCFI and regional indices, including Korea’s KCCI, are recording a sixth consecutive week of rate increases on Asia–North America trades.
Industry freight indices, led by the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI), show that spot container rates from Asia to North America in early September 2026 continue a sustained upward trend, now running for at least six straight weeks. The SCFI has risen to around 3,590 points, with rates on the Far East–US West Coast route above USD 7,200 per FEU and tariffs to the US East Coast consistently above USD 10,000 per FEU. Korea’s KCCI index reports comparable rate levels for sailings out of Busan to North American coasts, reinforcing the picture of sharply higher ocean container freight costs.
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