FREIGHT rates are expected to increase on major east-west trades in the face of recent declines on the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index (SCFI), reports London's Loadstar.
CMA CGM has announced new FAK rate levels from August for Asia-North Europe of US$1,050 per TEU, $1,100 per TEU from Asia to the west Mediterranean and $1,500 to east Med ports.
Ocean Alliance's OOCL has cancelled two Mediterranean sailings - the EM2 Asia-East Mediterranean & Black Sea service will not depart Qingdao on August 9, while the WM3 Asia-West Mediterranean service will not depart Khor Fakkan on July 26.
Maersk also plans increases and, after trying to raise Asia-North Europe FAK levels to $1,300-$1,450 per TEU, depending on the port of unloading, announcing new FAK levels of $975-$1,450 per TEU for the Asia-Med in August.
Hapag-Lloyd also announced a FAK rates of $1,200 per TEU for Asia-North Europe and Asia-West Mediterranean, also to be applied from August 1. FAK rates for Asia-East Mediterranean & Black Sea would be $1,650 per TEU.
Drewry's World Container Index (WCI), which records rates paid over the previous week, transpacific spot rates gained 11 per cent in recent weeks to reach $1,537 per FEU, up 31 per cent year on year, said to be the result of carrier capacity cuts.
But such gains have been followed by a 4.1 per cent decline on the SCFI. Quoted rates on the Asia-US east coast, are set to drop 2.2 per cent week to week to $2,650 per TEU.
The Shanghai-north Europe component of the SCFI declined to $863 per TEU, while the SCFI's recording of the Shanghai-Mediterranean routes saw rates down two per cent to finish at $869 per TEU - levels well below where carriers would like them to be with the peak shipping season almost upon the industry.
CMA CGM has announced new FAK rate levels from August for Asia-North Europe of US$1,050 per TEU, $1,100 per TEU from Asia to the west Mediterranean and $1,500 to east Med ports.
Ocean Alliance's OOCL has cancelled two Mediterranean sailings - the EM2 Asia-East Mediterranean & Black Sea service will not depart Qingdao on August 9, while the WM3 Asia-West Mediterranean service will not depart Khor Fakkan on July 26.
Maersk also plans increases and, after trying to raise Asia-North Europe FAK levels to $1,300-$1,450 per TEU, depending on the port of unloading, announcing new FAK levels of $975-$1,450 per TEU for the Asia-Med in August.
Hapag-Lloyd also announced a FAK rates of $1,200 per TEU for Asia-North Europe and Asia-West Mediterranean, also to be applied from August 1. FAK rates for Asia-East Mediterranean & Black Sea would be $1,650 per TEU.
Drewry's World Container Index (WCI), which records rates paid over the previous week, transpacific spot rates gained 11 per cent in recent weeks to reach $1,537 per FEU, up 31 per cent year on year, said to be the result of carrier capacity cuts.
But such gains have been followed by a 4.1 per cent decline on the SCFI. Quoted rates on the Asia-US east coast, are set to drop 2.2 per cent week to week to $2,650 per TEU.
The Shanghai-north Europe component of the SCFI declined to $863 per TEU, while the SCFI's recording of the Shanghai-Mediterranean routes saw rates down two per cent to finish at $869 per TEU - levels well below where carriers would like them to be with the peak shipping season almost upon the industry.