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Freight Rates Skyrocket! Surge 143%! Double-Digit Increases on Four Major Routes
Release time：
2026-03-19
Browsing：107次
The continuous escalation of the Iran-US conflict has triggered drastic fluctuations in the global shipping market. The Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) has risen for three consecutive weeks, with the latest reading at 1,710.35 points, representing a weekly increase of approximately 14%. Freight rates on the four major routes have all moved higher. Among them, the Persian Gulf route, directly impacted by the Middle East situation, recorded the most prominent increase, with a cumulative surge of 143% in two weeks. The current freight rate has climbed to around US$3,220 per TEU, up 40.8% in a single week. Multiple shipping lines have suspended cargo acceptance for the region, resulting in a significant contraction in actual transport capacity.
To cope with route disruptions, many in-transit shipments have been rerouted to Indian ports, then transshipped to UAE ports via land transport or feeder vessels. The "sea-land intermodal transport" has become the mainstream alternative solution. Meanwhile, the rerouting effect has driven a notable rise in freight rates on European and Mediterranean routes. The increases on Asia-to-Mediterranean and Asia-to-Europe routes reached 12.9% and over 11% respectively. Although the US route saw a quoted rate increase of 14%–16%, actual transactions remained weak, forcing a delay in price-hike plans. Currently, congestion at European ports is worsening, and supply chain pressure continues to mount. Industry analysts judge that if the conflict persists for more than a month, global shipping may see a chain reaction similar to the "Red Sea Crisis", with a high probability of a new round of price increases on European and North American routes.
To cope with route disruptions, many in-transit shipments have been rerouted to Indian ports, then transshipped to UAE ports via land transport or feeder vessels. The "sea-land intermodal transport" has become the mainstream alternative solution. Meanwhile, the rerouting effect has driven a notable rise in freight rates on European and Mediterranean routes. The increases on Asia-to-Mediterranean and Asia-to-Europe routes reached 12.9% and over 11% respectively. Although the US route saw a quoted rate increase of 14%–16%, actual transactions remained weak, forcing a delay in price-hike plans. Currently, congestion at European ports is worsening, and supply chain pressure continues to mount. Industry analysts judge that if the conflict persists for more than a month, global shipping may see a chain reaction similar to the "Red Sea Crisis", with a high probability of a new round of price increases on European and North American routes.