ASIA-Australia trades are again the main focus of the latest round of rate restorations, most of which are scheduled for 1 September.
Carriers appear intent on consolidating recent gains, with the Shanghai-Sydney SCFI showing spot rates for Week 33 (this week) averaging USD 2,395/FEU, up from 2,242 last week. On South East Asia-Australia routes Xenerta’s index for Week 33 sits at USD 1,805/FEU, up from 1,713 in Week 32.
These trades are again running contrary to Drewry’s World Container Index, which focuses on east-west routes and has been steadily falling since early June.
Notifications released in the last seven days:
OOCL will have a Rate Restoration of USD 300/TEU and USD 600/FEU from 1 September 2025 “to maintain sustainable and reliable schedules for our clients”. It will be applied for both dry and refrigerated cargoes in the base ocean freight for cargoes from North East Asia to Australia.
Parent COSCO Shipping will similarly implement Rate Restoration in full on top of existing ongoing market rates and will be subject to accessorial surcharges on its southbound North East Asia to Australia services on 1 September, applicable to all southbound shipments. Their RR will also be USD 300/TEU, USD 600/FEU. Effective for all Bills of Lading dated 1st September 2025 onwards.
COSCO will implement the same RR on the same date for all southbound shipments from South East Asia to all ports and points in Australia.
Same date, different carrier: MSC’s RR is effective for all cargo from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Philippines and Indonesia to Australia, and it too is USD 300/TEU.
Concurrently ANL will introduce a RR for all shipment from North-East Asia to New Zealand: USD 300/dry & reefer TEU, USD 600/dry and hi-cube and reefer/FEU. There will be an identical RR for all cargo from South-East Asia, Indian Sub-continent & Middle East to New Zealand, also on 1 September.
Finally, NPDL is increasing rates from Asia, China, Indian sub-continent, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East to the South Pacific (Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Wallis & Futuna). This too will be USD 300/TEU, 600/FEU, on 15 September.
Separately, Swire Shipping has reminded customers that due to ongoing disruptions in commercial shipping across the Red Sea and Transpacific routes, The carrier’s cargo services from Asian hub ports to Europe, the Red Sea region, and the Middle East Indian Subcontinent continue to be impacted.
“Swire Shipping relies on strategic feeder partners to extend our network beyond our core service areas. With these feeder operators redeploying their fleet to the Transpacific, rerouting services, and adjusting schedules, the cost of securing capacity on these trade lanes have significantly increased.
In response to these unexpected and unpredictable disruptions, Swire Shipping has implemented an Emergency Export Surcharge (EXS) for affected lanes. With feeder operators continuing to adjust their rates, the applicable Westbound EXS rates were revised effective 11 August 2025: details can be found here.