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Asia-US Container Rates Peak as Market Stabilizes, Elevated Costs to Persist

Container freight rates on Asia-US routes have likely reached their highest levels of 2026, but shippers should prepare for sustained elevated pricing through year-end, according to Xeneta Chief Analyst Peter Sand. West Coast spot rates averaged $8,346 per forty-foot equivalent unit on October 1, while East Coast rates hit $11,523 per FEU. The East Coast premium widened to $3,177 per FEU compared to $772 before the recent crisis period. Easing port congestion in Asia as typhoon season concludes and reduced export activity during China's Golden Week holidays are tempering demand. Over the next three months, analysts project East Coast rates will decline to $6,000-$7,000 per FEU and West Coast rates to $4,500-$5,500—a significant correction but not a complete collapse. European routes peaked earlier and have declined since July, though they remain substantially elevated versus pre-crisis levels.