By Gavin van Marle (The Loadstar) –

It was a relatively flat week for pricing on the major deepsea box shipping trades, with a scheduled mid-week general rate increase (GRI) failing to lift container spot rates on the headhaul eastbound transpacific route.

Tuesday saw the implementation of a range of transpacific GRIs, of $1,000-$3,000 per 40ft.

However, the Shanghai-Los Angeles leg of Drewry’s World Container Index (WCI) ended this week at $2,817 per 40ft, 4% down on the previous week.

Other indices showed similar declines: the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index’s (SCFI) Shanghai-US west coast base port leg was down 2% week on week, to $2,142 per 40ft; while Xeneta’s XSI Far East-US west coast leg shed 8% on the previous week, to finish at $2,204.

The trade from Asia to the US east coast also came under further pressure, with the WCI’s Shanghai-New York leg losing 6% week on week, to end at $4,539 per 40ft, while the SCFI lost 13% over the previous week, to end at $3,612 per 40ft.

Spot rates on both Asia-US trades have been in continual decline since 12 June.

“Import momentum into the US has slowed, with many shippers having already advanced their orders earlier in the year to pre-empt potential tariffs,” Drewry said. “As a result, transpacific demand has softened, contributing to falling freight rates amid persistent overcapacity.”

However, this week Freightos’s FBX saw a 4% increase on Asia-US east coast rates, to $3,509 per 40ft, offering carriers a faint glimmer of hope that a peak season boost may on its way – although Drewry warned that it “expects the supply-demand balance to weaken again in H2 25, which will cause spot rates to decline”.

It explained: “The volatility and timing of rate changes will depend on Trump’s future tariffs, and on capacity changes related to the introduction of US penalties on Chinese ships, which are uncertain.”

Meanwhile, last week’s reversal of pricing trends on the Asia-North Europe trade continued this week, with the WCI’s Shanghai-Rotterdam leg losing another 1% week on week, to end at $3,334 per 40ft, putting it almost on a par with rates on the Asia-Mediterranean trade.

The WCI’s Shanghai-Genoa leg also lost 1% week on week, to end at $3,450 per 40ft, although forwarders on the trade told The Loadstar quotes from shipping lines for Med destinations had already dipped below North Europe pricing.

However, with port congestion in Europe proving to be stubbornly persistent, as well as Asia-Europe volumes continuing to hold up, sources suggested carriers were looking to hike rates as the peak season gets under way.

Maersk Line, which is understood to have been offering the “most competitive” Asia-Europe freight rates since the switchover to the Gemini network, is set to introduce a $500 per 40ft peak season surcharge on Asia-North Europe shipments from 1 August.

“The introduction of the PSS indicates that vessel space on the Asia–Europe route is expected to remain tight in August,” said Chinese sources, adding that carriers were looking to restrict allocations to shippers under short-term contracts and increase higher-paying spot cargo acceptance.

The Loadstar also understands that the newly built 15,780 teu Beijing Maersk, now undergoing sea trials off the South Korean coast, will see its first deployment as an extra loader from China and South Korea to North Europe.

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