China-Australia rates holding up, for now

WITH Drewry’s World Container Index turning down this week after several consecutive upgrades, average spot rates on the premier China-Australia route jumped another 8% for Week 46, to USD 3238/FEU.

Again, this rate is likely inflated by continuing weather/congestion disruptions at both end of the trade.

However, it is notable that TS Lines has added another extra-loader for mid-December arrival in East Coast ports (the 1909 TEU TS Jakarta) raking the current multi-month run to seven sailings.

ANL, as previously mentioned, has two extra-loaders position in for trans-Tasman deployment this month and next, and PIL has the 1810 TEU Kota Nekad shortly calling Port Botany and Melbourne from Nansha and Shekou, before returning to Singapore.

Maersk has blanked a Northern Star (N&E Asia-NZ) voyage by the 2824 TEU Delos Wave in favour of a Hong Kong, Melbourne, Brisbane trip in mid-December.

Meanwhile, quotes sent to DCN from a Shenzhen freight forwarder and valid from 15 November to 14 December, offer USD 2900/FEU from Shenzhen, Shanghai and Ningbo, and USD 2950/FEU from Qingdao, to Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne.

Rates and other announcements

Hapag-Lloyd has announced ocean tariff rates for Freight All Kinds (FAK) from North Europe* and the Mediterranean to all Australian base ports (Adelaide, Brisbane, Fremantle, Melbourne, and Sydney) will increase, from sailings commencing on the tariffing date of 15 November 2025 and until further notice. (*North Europe: Germany, Netherlands, Great Britain, Norther Ireland, Belgium, France, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia, Estonia, Iceland and Luxembourg.)

20-foot dry containers will rise from USD 273 to USD 373, while 40-foot dry containers will rise from USD 434 to USD 634.

On the same date equivalent FAK shipments from Spain to Australia will rise from USD 411/TEU to USD 511/TEU, and from USD 722/FEU to USD 922/FEU.

The Ocean Tariff Rates include the Basic Freight, Origin Terminal Handling Charge, Carrier Security Fee, Emergency Surcharge and Suez Canal Charge.

ANL will be implementing a rate restoration program from 1 December 2025 at USD 300 per 20’ dry/reefer & USD600 per 40’ dry/reefer for all shipments from North East Asia to Australia. This increase will apply on top of the current Spot/FAK rates, subject to all applicable surcharges valid at the time of shipment.

 ANL/CMA CGM Group has advised of an update to their Booking Rollover & No-show policy in Australia, to take effect from 1 December.

Revised Policy

Rollover Requests

• Customers will be allowed to roll over their booking once (1), if initiated by themselves.  (Prior to the port cutoff and no container(s) collected).
•  Any subsequent (second) rollover request will not be accommodated, and the booking will be cancelled. Customers will need to make a new booking for a later date.

No-Show(s)

• For dry containers, if no container(s) are collected after the port cutoff, the booking will be cancelled.
• No rollover requests will be permitted in such cases.

Applicability

•  Applies to all dry cargo exports.
• Exclusions:  
1. Reefer, OOG (Out-of-Gauge), Break Bulk, and SpotOn bookings (separate processes apply)
2.  Bookings rolled over due to carrier-related reasons.

Current Policy (Expires on 30 November 2025)

•  Customers are currently allowed to roll over their booking up to three (3) times, if initiated by themselves.
• Any fourth (4) rollover request is not accommodated, and the booking is cancelled, requiring a re-booking at a later date.
• No shows – bookings may be rolled over subject to space availability.  

The Ocean Tariff Rates include the Basic Freight, Origin Terminal Handling Charge, Carrier Security Fee, Emergency Surcharge and Suez Canal Charge.

*North Europe: Germany, Netherlands, Great Britain, Norther Ireland, Belgium, France, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia, Estonia, Iceland and Luxembourg

NPDL has advised that, as part of a planned system upgrade, it will be renaming the equipment imbalance charge for all shipments ex Asia, Latin America, Africa and Middle East to the South Pacific Islands effective 1 December 2025.

There is no change to the quantum of the charge or change in any process other than a naming change on the Bill of Lading as per below:

Both ANL and Maersk have notified of increased port dues for Tauranga, effective 1 December.