Asia-US container rates climb past $7,900 per FEU on early peak-season demand

Peak-season demand pushes trans-Pacific rates higher

Ocean container rates on the main east-west lanes have surged again, with the increase driven by early peak-season demand rather than the crude oil dynamics tied to tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, according to FreightWaves, citing Freightos data contributed to SONAR ocean market data.

Asia to U.S. West Coast prices rose 8% to $6,175 per forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU), while Asia to U.S. East Coast rates also climbed 8%, reaching $7,998 per FEU, Freightos reported. The market is now shaped by freight-rate volatility and carrier adjustments to protect schedules and pricing rather than by Middle East disruptions.

Hormuz risk recedes as oil flows resume

Iran has escalated efforts to assert sole authority over vessel traffic in the Strait of Hormuz even as it negotiates with the United States over a final peace deal, Freightos Research Head Judah Levine wrote in a note to clients. Oil volumes out of the Gulf states are rebounding, though marine traffic was paused following Iranian strikes on transiting vessels and sites in Bahrain and Kuwait, Levine said. The United Nations abandoned ship evacuations after Tehran attacked a Mediterranean Shipping Co. vessel on a non-approved route.

With crude oil flows from the Persian Gulf resuming, surging peak-season demand — not oil prices — is driving elevated container rates, FreightWaves reported.

Rates climb across all major trades

Since mid-May, trans-Pacific prices to the U.S. West Coast have climbed 120%, and 85% to East Coast gateways, according to Freightos. Over the same period, Asia-North Europe rates are up 70%, and Mediterranean rates 85%. Carriers have shifted capacity from secondary lanes to service the demand, pushing up rates on secondary trades as well.

Levine noted that trans-Pacific East Coast rates now stand $1,000/FEU higher than last year's frontloading-driven summer high, with West Coast prices just above their 2025 peak. Europe and Mediterranean rates are $1,300 and $3,000 per FEU above their 2025 peak-season highs, respectively.

Carriers are adjusting networks in response. Zim recently launched a new Asia–East Coast South America service, while Hapag-Lloyd updated service rotations, FreightWaves said. New vessel orders and broader fleet growth continue as carriers try to balance expansion with increasingly uneven demand amid geopolitical events.

What is driving the early rush

The early start is underpinned by frontloading ahead of carrier fuel surcharges and manufacturer price increases, as well as approaching U.S. tariff deadlines. The National Retail Federation said 32% of surveyed consumers had started back-to-school shopping in June, up from 26% in 2025, an early indicator of retail spending later in the year.

The surge is delaying traffic at major hubs in South Asia, the Far East and Europe, shrinking available capacity and adding upward pressure on rates, Levine said. If enough shippers are pulling volumes forward, the early start could mean an early peak-season unwind, possibly in July, though port congestion may extend volume strength. Carriers are set to introduce more rate increases at the start of July, and their success with those hikes should signal where the market sits in this year's peak. Separately, Maersk lifted its full-year guidance on strong demand, FreightWaves noted.