A ZERO % increase last week – and a 18% increase this week! That’s the crazy world of South East Asia-Australia rates currently, and as one source commented: “I don’t know WTF is going on!”.
According to Xeneta, main ports index for this week leapt to USD 3,635/FEU compared to 3,069/FEU last week. While there are continuing reports of tightening space and hub congestion the volatility is a little mysterious, with far less disruption to supply than in the North & East Asia-Australia trade.
Speaking of which, the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index for Shanghai to Sydney regained most of the ground it lost last week, hitting USD 4,430/FEU, up 2%. This is still below Week 28’s year-to-date peak of USD 4,558/FEU.
Additional southbound capacity in the form of the A3X and Maersk Qilin peak-season services is now well-and-truly available; TS Lines has added further sailings to its CA3, and there is a smattering of extra-loaders.
Countering this a succession of typhoons crippling several East Asian ports, leading to a stream of notifications of port omissions at both ends of the trade as carriers seek some semblance of schedule dependability.
Given Maersk’s Qilin is a Shanghai-only load port, Maersk and partner ONE have dropped Shanghai from the Dragon/AUN service, effective 21 August. The new rotation is Qingdao – Ningbo – Hong Kong – Yantian – Sydney – Melbourne – Brisbane – Qingdao.
In addition, the port windows at Ningbo, Hong Kong and Yantian will be adjusted to enhance overall schedule reliability and reduce the impact of weather-related and terminal disruptions on service performance, Maersk says. Brisbane exports to Shanghai will now be served either via transhipment in Hong Kong or Tanjung Pelepas depending on shipper needs.
“These changes are designed to provide a more consistent and reliable service for your cargo,” the carrier said.
Before that, due to the recent adverse weather conditions affecting scheduling in the region, Dragon/AUN vessels ALS Kronos 628N/631S and Methoni 629N/632S will omit their Shanghai port calls to minimise any further disruption to these voyages. And also pertaining to the above weather/congestion delays, Shanghai port closures associated with Typhoon Dolphin have led to Qilin vessels Cape Serrat 631S/633N and AS Camellia 632S/634N to omit Melbourne and Port Botany respectively, while on the Northern Star service Maersk Newbury 630S/633N will omit Brisbane.
The A3 consortium of ANL, COSCO Shipping and OOCL is similarly affected. The entire A3S schedule will be slid one week, from OOCL Italy 157S/N to assist with schedule recovery. In A3N, ALS Clivia 008N/009S will omit Ningbo and Port Botany; ALS Hercules 008N/009S will omit Shanghai; and OOCL Shanghai 100N will omit Brisbane. ANL’s ANZEX service vessel ANL Waikato 476S will omit Shanghai.
The pattern of fortnightly increases continues. ANL will be implementing a rate restoration program from 1 September 2026 at USD 500/TEU dry/reefer & USD 1,000/FEU dry/reefer for all shipment from Asia to Australia. This increase will apply on top of current Spot/FAK rates subject to all applicable surcharges valid on time of shipment.
On the same date ANL is aiming for a higher quantum of USD 600/TEU dry and USD 1,200/FEU dry for all shipments from China/South East Asia/North East Asia/Indian Subcontinent/Middle East to New Zealand.
COSCO Shipping is also hitting shippers with 1 September increases of USD 500/TEU and USD 1,000/FEU, for all southbound shipments to Australia from South East Asian and North & East Asian ports. The carrier has also announced revised inbound detention & demurrage rates, effective from 4 September.
MSC has announced a rate restoration of USD 500/TEU on 1 September, applying to Please be advised that a rate restoration will be implemented on all cargo moving from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Philippines and Indonesia to Australia.