Container

Container freight markets were largely stable this week, with the FBX index ending at 3,344 points on 9 October, little change from 3,348 points at the start of the week. Despite limited movement in the headline index, several individual routes experienced notable volatility.

Transpacific eastbound markets remained at elevated levels. China/East Asia to the US East Coast (FBX03) was unchanged throughout the week at $9,606/FEU, while China/East Asia to the US West Coast (FBX01) declined sharply early in the week before recovering modestly to finish at $8,106/FEU, down $228 week-on-week.

Asia-Europe trades were generally steady. China/East Asia to North Europe (FBX11) held unchanged at $3,260/FEU throughout the period. China/East Asia to the Mediterranean (FBX13) saw significant volatility, rising by $387 on 6 October before easing back, ultimately ending the week at $3,861/FEU, $320 above last Friday’s level.

Westbound backhaul routes remained under pressure with limited demand support. Europe to China/East Asia (FBX12) finished at $416/FEU, down $21 week-on-week, while Mediterranean to China/East Asia (FBX14) remained unchanged at $170/FEU.

The strongest gain this week was seen on the USA East Coast to Europe route (FBX21), which rose from $1,074 to $1,182/FEU following a sharp $109 increase at the end of the week.