Transpacific spot rate slide raises concerns over US import demand
- SCFI index to US west coast drops another 15%; index to US east coast falls 11%
- Transpacific is diverging from Asia-Europe, with SCFI index to North Europe up 7% and index to Mediterranean down only 1%
- ‘Massive political uncertainty is taking its toll’ in transpacific, says Xeneta’s Peter Sand
The perennial question in shipping: How much are rate declines due to seasonality versus other factors? This is the current question for container shipping in the transpacific, where rate declines are outpacing other trades at a time when the Trump administration is creating economic uncertainty