Latest news with #Trans-Pacific
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Drewry: Ocean rates fall for fifth straight week
Drewry's World Container Index (WCI) tracking ocean freight rates declined 2.6% this week, marking the fifth consecutive week of decreases. The analyst in an update said that the trend indicates a significant shift in market dynamics following a volatile period induced by increased U.S. tariffs in April, and a subsequent China-U.S. tariff pause. Although the tariffs initially caused a lagged market reaction that saw rates climbing in May and surging into early June, this upward trajectory has not been sustained as rates have steadily dropped since mid-June. Trans-Pacific spot rates have also felt the impact, with prices from Shanghai to Los Angeles currently down by 4% to $2,817 per forty foot equivalent unit (FEU). Similarly, rates on the Shanghai to New York route have declined by 6%, to $4,539 per FEU. Drewry said that despite these decreases, rates on both lanes remain higher than levels observed 10 weeks ago when tariff anxieties were initially escalating. Rates from Shanghai to Los Angeles are still up 4%, while those to New York have climbed by 24% compared to the figures on May 8. The overarching decline in spot rates can largely be attributed to weakening demand, which is expected to persist according to Drewry's Container Forecaster. The outlook anticipates a further weakening of the supply-demand balance in the second half of 2025, which could invariably result in continued decreases in spot rates. The future volatility and rate adjustments will hinge on subsequent trade policies, particularly any additional tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, and on potential capacity changes prompted by U.S. penalties on Chinese shipping lines. Find more articles by Stuart Chirls of Oakland containers off 10% as 'recalibration' hits ocean supply chain China could block sale of port terminals: Report Amid uncertainty, sliding Asia-US container rates are a sure thing Report: White House maritime chief leaving The post Drewry: Ocean rates fall for fifth straight week appeared first on FreightWaves.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tariff pauses ‘unlikely' to halt tumbling trans-Pacific rates: Freightos
Global shipping continues to experience significant fluctuations, influenced largely by the U.S. tariff strategy involving numerous trading partners, with the situation surrounding China remaining a major focal point. Recent developments in U.S. tariff policies have drawn considerable attention to ocean freight rates, marking a momentous shift in shipping dynamics, said analyst and SONAR data contributor Freightos in an update. The Freightos Baltic Index saw Asia-U.S. West Coast rates fall 8% to $3,124 per forty foot equivalent (FEU) for the week ending July 4, while Asia-U.S. East Coast prices dropped 16% to $5,159 per FEU. SONAR's Inbound Ocean TEUs Volume Index ( as of July 8 surged ahead of 2022-2024 levels. President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order extending the pause on reciprocal tariff rollouts for several U.S. trading partners until August 1. This extension offers a brief respite from imminent tariff hikes and allows additional time for negotiations that aim to reduce or completely avoid these increases. Notably, the existing tariffs with China will remain unchanged until their current expiration on August 11. This pause has subtly impacted the overall volume and direction of international shipping activities. Significant frontloading of goods from various countries was observed before the anticipated tariff hikes, especially from China due to previous tariff levels that went as high as an embargo-like 145%. This frontloading led to an overall slump in U.S. ocean imports during April and May, with trans-Pacific container rates maintaining stability, and at times, decreasing due to strategic blanked sailings by carriers. However, any potential spike in shipping activities in July is expected to be muted because of the short timeframe until the pause's expiration. Trans-Pacific spot rates from Asia to the U.S. West Coast saw a marked reduction, falling 8% during the week ending July 4 to $3,124 per forty foot equivalent unit (FEU), and further dropping to $2,390 per FEU. This represents a decline of 60% from just three weeks prior when rates were as high as $6,000 per FEU. Similarly, East Coast rates have fallen by 30% since mid-June to $4,900 per FEU, though they remain above their March-to-May levels, reflecting limited capacity additions on this route compared to the West Coast's quicker transit options. In terms of capacity adjustments, carriers are making strategic decisions to combat decreasing demand and falling rates. Planned general rate increases (GRIs) have been abandoned or reduced, with many carriers opting to remove capacity in attempts to stabilize market conditions and halt the decline. This strategic reduction in vessel availability is intended to align capacity with dropping demand and prevent further rate deterioration. Rates on Europe trades have been influenced by relatively steady peak season demand coupled with ongoing congestion at key container hubs. Despite an overall reasonable demand, rates remain below last year's peak, driven down by continual fleet growth and substantial scheduled capacity on the Asia-North Europe lane. Carriers are reportedly planning to increase blankings, reducing scheduled capacity even amid typical peak season increases, to stabilize rates, which have risen 14% to $3,384 per FEU last week but remain significantly below the previous year's highs. Find more articles by Stuart Chirls rebound as West Coast containers best East, Gulf ports Port Newark opens new electric drayage charging station Italy shipbuilder appoints new US chief Crowley adds new U.S. Northeast ocean service with Central America The post Tariff pauses 'unlikely' to halt tumbling trans-Pacific rates: Freightos appeared first on FreightWaves. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Flexport Debuts Tariff Simulator as Customers ‘Need Clarity on Costs'
Flexport wants to help businesses better estimate how much extra they're paying in tariffs when they're importing goods into the U.S. The digital freight forwarder launched the Flexport Tariff Simulator Monday as importers continue to navigate the stop-and-start environment. The simulator is accessible to the general public. More from Sourcing Journal US Pushes Global Partners for Trade Deals by Wednesday Trade Truce Crumbles as China Says US Violated Terms Trans-Pacific Ocean Freight Rates Continue Their Ascent on More Front-Loading With the Flexport Tariff Simulator, importers shipping to the U.S. can now estimate tariff and landed cost scenarios based on key shipment details, including: the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) code; shipment value; entry date; country of origin; and product-specific details such as material composition. For example, a business importing a men's T-shirt from China can either search their specific product category or enter the relevant HTS code and select an entry date to receive an estimated, detailed duty calculation with landed cost. The calculation also breaks out how much is owed for each individual duty that applies to the product's country of origin. Additionally, the tool also allows shippers to include potential exclusion codes to determine how much they would save if applied. Within the simulator, there is an interactive map that allows users to see trade data around the world including the total value of imports from a given country, the current average duty rate and the percentage of total U.S. imports coming from that country. The map also can break down total imports by individual HTS codes, and enables users to see the top trade partners for each individual product category. The simulator is built to enable dynamic scenario planning and cost forecasting as importers explore alternative trade lanes, manufacturing options and import timelines. According to Flexport, the user interface is updated in real time as tariff policies change. 'Our customers have been telling us loud and clear: they need clarity on costs,' said Ryan Petersen, founder and CEO of Flexport, in a statement. 'Our engineering team built The Flexport Tariff Simulator in response to meet that need in the face of all the uncertainty caused by rapid policy changes. We want to help merchants avoid expensive surprises.' Petersen has been vocal about the tariffs in recent months and how they could impact the Flexport business and its many customers. He told Fortune in a recent interview that the duties push back profitability projections for Flexport by six months to a year. And in a separate interview with The Wall Street Journal, he called the tariffs 'an extinction-level, asteroid-wiping-out-the-dinosaurs kind of event' for small businesses. In a LinkedIn post on Monday, Petersen called the tariff simulator 'the number one thing customers have asked for.' Retailers and brands alike of all sizes have had to endure a flurry of on-the-fly changes to U.S. tariff policy since April 2, when President Donald Trump's 'Liberation Day' announcements unveiled a slew of country-specific 'reciprocal' tariffs on dozens of American trade partners. A week later, on the day those duties initially went into effect, Trump put a 90-day pause on the country-specific tariffs, paring them back to a 10-percent baseline. Much of the attention is now on China, where plenty of Flexport customers still manufacture and source many of their products. China has seen the most tariff fluctuations of any U.S. trade partner as the White House continues its trade war against the country, likely creating confusion among those business leaders needing to stay abreast of the immediate impacts. On top of already existing Section 301 tariffs, China's 'Liberation Day' duties, including the 20-percent fentanyl-related tax, totaled 54 percent. These tariffs were then escalated to 145 percent as the remaining country-specific tariffs were scaled back, before being put largely on pause in May for 90 days. Chinese imports into the U.S. now have a duty rate of 30 percent. President Trump and China's President Xi Jinping could hold direct talks on the tariffs as soon as this week, according to the White House. Flexport's launch came the same day a Reuters report indicated that the White House wants its 'best offers' from U.S. trade partners by a Wednesday deadline. The official deadline for most countries to negotiate new deals with the Trump administration is July 9, before the 90-day pause expires and the original April 2 duties would go into effect. For China, the target date is Aug. 14. Alongside the tariff simulator launch, the freight tech company also is debuting a new, searchable catalog of HTS code content. Each entry is designed to provide detailed, easy-to-understand information to help businesses better navigate classification requirements, special duty rates and implications for their customs clearance process. Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten Melden Sie sich an, um Ihr Portfolio aufzurufen. Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US Pushes Global Partners for Trade Deals by Wednesday
With an eye toward finalizing trade agreements ahead of its self-imposed July 9 deadline, the White House is pushing global trade partners to submit their most attractive offers to the U.S. by Wednesday. According to a draft of a U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) letter viewed by Reuters, the Trump administration is seeking to expedite the closure of deals with a number of countries. More from Sourcing Journal Trade Truce Crumbles as China Says US Violated Terms Trans-Pacific Ocean Freight Rates Continue Their Ascent on More Front-Loading How Should Brands Think About Cross-Border E-Commerce Amidst Uncertainty? Within the document, presumably to be sent to foreign trade officials, the administration asked for proposals related to the lowering of tariffs and non-tariff trade barriers along with quotas for the purchase of U.S. goods like agricultural and industrial products. It also asked for details about other commitments countries might make related to digital commerce and economic security. The outlet reported that the USTR wrote that it would evaluate responses with the intent of creating 'a possible landing zone' for negotiations which could include a new rate for reciprocal duties. In the weeks since President Donald Trump's April 2 'Liberation Day' announcements and the subsequent deferral of so-called 'reciprocal' duties, cabinet officials have touted progress in trade negotiations between the U.S. and dozens of trading partners. While talks have been in progress with Vietnam, India, Japan and the European Union, only one deal—which can be more accurately described as a framework for an agreement—has been finalized with the United Kingdom. The ambitious June 4 request for proposals underscores a sense of urgency within the administration. Just five weeks remain until Trump's reciprocal duties, which were deferred for a period of three months on April 9, will resume, blanketing imports from across the globe in double-digit duties. Since the White House's tariff schemes were unveiled, they've thrown markets into tumult and shaken up global sourcing and supply chains. According to a Monday report from the South China Morning Post, U.S. retailers and big box stores like Walmart have been pushing their suppliers in China to take on more of the tariff burden that's been foisted upon them—some demanding that their overseas partners pay up to 66 percent of the added duties. After Walmart's chief executive spoke out about the impact the tariffs might have on prices at retail during an earnings call last month, Trump directed the retailer to 'eat the tariffs' rather than pass along the cost to consumers. Trade talks with China have all but 'stalled,' according to administration officials. In recent days, both China and the U.S. have accused the other of undermining negotiations following the establishment of a three-month trade truce last month. While tensions between the two countries are running high, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping would likely speak sometime this week. And over the weekend, the USTR quietly released a Federal Register notice announcing extensions of certain existing tariff exclusions from Section 301 duties until Aug. 31. The notice said that a three-month extension would be granted on 164 exclusions that were extended in May of last year, along with 14 exclusions that were established in September. The products covered by the exclusions include mostly solar manufacturing equipment, technology and electronics, and some Covid-related goods. 'The US Trade Representative's decision to extend these exclusions takes into account public comments previously provided, previous advice of the advisory committees, and the interagency Section 301 Committee,' the notice said.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
As CMA CGM Flirts with Red Sea Comeback, Will Others Follow Suit?
CMA CGM is reshuffling its deck of vessels to expand its presence in the Red Sea. Starting in June, the ocean carrier will reroute its Med Express (MEDEX) service—which connects ports across the Middle East, Indian subcontinent and Mediterranean Sea—back through the Suez Canal. More from Sourcing Journal Carriers Ramp Up Trans-Pacific Capacity on Expected Demand Rally CMA CGM's $600M Vietnam Port Project Reflects 'Sharp' Container Demand Trans-Pacific Cargo Space Vanishing Fast Ahead of Tariff Deadlines According to a CMA CGM spokesperson, the container shipping firm is reallocating ships on a trade lane that had already been temporarily using the Suez route, and is not deploying additional vessels via the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait. 'At this stage, the majority of the Group's vessels continue to be rerouted via the Cape of Good Hope,' the spokesperson told Sourcing Journal. 'CMA CGM does not plan to resume transits through the Suez Canal on a large scale in the short term, unless security conditions allow it. Until further notice, the CMA CGM Group will continue to seek escort assistance from the European Union Naval Force's Operation ASPIDES for its ships to ensure the highest level of safety for its crew members, vessels, and its customers' cargo.' The first westbound transit on the route will be with 9,700 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) CMA CGM Pelleas ship, which will leave Sri Lanka's Colombo Port on June 10. The ship will also conduct the first eastbound voyage for the service out of Jeddah Islamic Port in Saudi Arabia on July 24. The weekly service line will use a fleet 10 ships that can carry between 6,000 to 10,000 TEUs, and dock at ports including Nhava Sheva and Mundra in India, Abu Dhabi and Jebel Ali in the U.A.E., Genoa in Italy and Barcelona and Valencia in Spain, among others. Fourteen ports comprise the MEDEX line, which last, Since late 2023, when the Yemen-based Houthi militant group began attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait, CMA CGM had opted for MEDEX vessels to instead sail around Africa's Cape of Good Hope. The longer route adds between one and two weeks to total ocean transit times, and has been a key determinant in pushing up freight rates due to the ensuing capacity crunch. A Red Sea return would mark a big step for container shipping in returning to the conflict-ridden waterway, which remains a no-go zone for most ocean carriers concerned about the attacks. Although the Houthis haven't attacked a container ship thus far in 2025, and have appeared to indicate they won't be targeting non-Israeli ships any longer, the industry has still been hesitant about redeploying ships in the area. 'The open question for now is of course how many services we need to see from CMA CGM reverting back to the Red Sea before the other major carriers will re-assess and also revert back to a Suez routing,' said Lars Jensen, CEO of Vespucci Maritime, in a post on LinkedIn. Companies have been avoiding a return largely because they cannot guarantee safety on the route, and because war-risk insurance premiums for carriers remain elevated compared to pre-Red Sea crisis levels. The higher freight rates also add an incentive, contributing to higher profits industrywide. Unlike the other major carriers, CMA CGM hasn't spurned the Suez Canal entirely since the Houthis began their onslaught on shipping. The France-based company opened up transit on a case-by-case basis in February 2024, and had already been working with the French Navy to help escort vessels through the Red Sea when necessary. This is a benefit major carriers like Denmark-based Maersk and Switzerland-based Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) don't have. CMA CGM's fleet has regularly been sailing one service on the Suez route as part of the Ocean Alliance the carrier has with Cosco Shipping, Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) and Evergreen. The weekly BEX2 (Phoenician Express) service from Far East to the Mediterranean has been in regular rotation since July 2024. That line stops at major Asian ports including Shanghai and Ningbo in China, Busan, South Korea and Singapore. It likely strayed away from Houthi attention because it transported cargo to and from Beirut, Lebanon, according to Alphaliner. On June 23, CMA CGM also plans to do a single Suez Canal voyage via its Far East-to-Mediterranean MEX service, when the 16,000-TEU CMA CGM Jules Verne leaves eastbound from Jeddah. The Ocean Alliance service is not a permanent shift. Both the services and one-offs have put CMA CGM far ahead of competitors when it comes to Suez sailings. CMA CGM ranked first in net tonnage of container vessels passing through the Suez Canal from January to April, representing 19 percent of cargo moved during that period. During the quarter, 486 container vessels sailed through the Suez Canal, amounting to 17,234 metric tons. During a meeting with the Suez Canal Authority earlier this month, CMA CGM's executive vice president of assets and operations, Christine Cabeau, hinted at the MEDEX shift. She indicated that the group wanted a second fixed service to traverse the canal. The Suez Canal Authority, which has seen substantial losses in revenue since the Houthi attacks began, is offering 15-percent rebates for container vessels opting to sail through the trade artery. Sign in to access your portfolio
