News / Gong Xi Fat Cai! Freight rates out of Asia hold steady as Year of the Rat begins

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On the eve of Chinese New Year, container freight rates out of Asia remained largely unchanged from the week before, as the country begins its annual two-week public holiday, with factories mostly shut and port and shipping activity muted.

However, after several weeks of blanked sailings, shippers and forwarders – particularly on the Asia-Europe trades – can expect container rollovers and delays to shipments, according to Martin Holst-Mikkelsen, head of ocean (EMEA) at Flexport.

“We’re seeing a considerable number of containers rolled ...