Container freight rates have continued to rise for a sixth consecutive week on major routes out of Asia, supported by resilient demand on US trades and growing congestion at Chinese ports. Benchmark indices KCCI and SCFI both recorded fresh weekly increases, while Drewry data show diverging rate moves on Shanghai–Europe lanes, reflecting a split peak season across trade corridors. This highlights how operational bottlenecks and strong demand are translating into higher transport costs for shippers.
As of September 8–9, 2026, container freight rates on export routes from Asia continue to climb, with several benchmarks confirming a sixth straight week of increases. Korean maritime data show that the Korea Container Composite Index (KCCI) stood at 4,697 points on September 7, up 106 points (2.3%) week on week, while the global Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) rose by 80.52 points (2.3%) to 3,590.05 points. Drewry’s World Container Index for September 3 indicates that spot rates on Shanghai–Genoa fell 10% week on week to 4,368 dollars per 40-foot box and on Shanghai–Rotterdam dropped 5% to 4,092 dollars, underscoring a redistribution of demand between trade corridors. A broader freight market review notes that spot rates on several lanes remain above last year’s levels and that contract rates are roughly 20% higher year on year.
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