Container rates have doubled within a month and are now six times higher compared to last year. A forty-footer shipping from Shanghai to Rotterdam currently costs $6,032, according to the World Container Index by Drewry.
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This week, spot rates in container liner shipping from Asia to Europe increased by another 14%, bringing them to twice the amount they were around King's Day, just over a month ago.
The significant increase in rates is attributed to various factors, including disruptions caused by Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea starting on November 19. This upheaval in the market saw rates rise from a low point of around $1,000 for a Shanghai-Rotterdam container last October to the current sixfold increase.
Drewry analysts have reported a surge in container rates since January.
Source: www.nt.nl