The U.S. East Coast sees a sharp drop. The United States has introduced a reciprocal tariff policy against various countries, yet the global cargo volume still shows no signs of improvement, with freight rate indices falling continuously. The latest Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) released on July 18 dropped by 86.39 points to 1,649.9 points. Freight rates on all four major shipping routes declined, among which the freight rate on the Far East to U.S. East Coast route fell by more than 10%. Previously, the U.S. West Coast and European routes, which had seen larger declines, have started to consolidate, while the U.S. East Coast and Mediterranean routes have shown relatively significant supplementary declines.

Although it has entered the traditional peak season, the U.S. routes are affected by the dual impacts of a large number of additional ships put into operation and insufficient market demand. As the sailing schedule progresses, fluctuations in freight rates will intensify. The industry believes that whether freight rates can stop falling and stabilize hinges on the supply side.