This article explains sea freight "dead freight"¡ªa cancellation fee for FCL bookings. It traces its origin to the pandemic, clarifies charging timelines, and offers tips to avoid it by tracking order progress.
A freight rate war may have erupted on Asia-Europe routes, with spot rates (e.g., Shanghai-Rotterdam down 11% to $1,910/FEU) falling despite capacity cuts. Trans-Pacific rally stalls, with SCFI showing sharp declines.
Sea-Intelligence reports global empty container transport hits 41% (vs 3.1/10 pre-2019). Ports like LA/Long Beach and Chittagong face backlogs; distribution imbalance worsens.
Italy will hold strikes on Sept 19 (CGIL) and 22 (Cub/Adl/Sgb) 2025. Ports, rail (suspended 21-22 Sept), and logistics face delays. Kuehne+Nagel has issued warnings.
China launches Wenzhou-Middle East maritime route: The ro-ro ship "Forest Glory" with 400 BYD NEVs sails to Dubai. It cuts loading time, boosts Zhejiang-Fujian auto exports.
Recently, the latest Shanghai Export Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) released by the Shanghai Shipping Exchange stood at 1,398.11 points, a 3.2% decrease from the previous period.The China export container shipping market remained generally stable. Although freight rates on the U.S. routes rose,
COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers launches China¡¯s first direct breakbulk route (Zhangjiagang-Callao) to West South America. It cuts voyage by 5 days, boosts trade, and supports Belt and Road & Yangtze River Delta integration.
Maersk adds 100,000 TEU to intra-Asia routes (Hapag-Lloyd up 97% YoY) via Gemini Alliance. Intra-Asia cargo demand/freight rates rise; analysts see 80M TEU in 10 years, but competition intensifies.
U.S. ports are suddenly quiet due to Trump¡¯s extra fees on Chinese ships¡ªbackfiring as China adjusts routes & imposes 78.2% tariffs on U.S. optical fibers. The U.S. faces port slumps, supply chain chaos; openness beats protectionism.
