News / Shippers brace for fresh price hikes in the 'new normal' for ocean freight

The CMA CGM CHRISTOPHE COLOMB

Shippers are bracing themselves for a fresh onslaught of freight rate hikes and peak season surcharges (PSS) from April, as ocean carriers reinforce their supply chain dominance across tradelanes.

Carriers have begun to focus on the traditionally low-revenue backhaul routes in order to restore rates to levels that will incentivise them to make equipment available for cargo shipments, rather than using the default option of deadheading empty containers back to Asia.

For headhaul routes, transpacific carriers, having eased off on their GRIs ...