News / Spot rates stabilise and ocean carriers stay optimistic as contract talks loom

Container spot rates held steady this week, but they will finish 2017 significantly below the levels of a year ago, potentially diminishing carrier hopes of anything other than modest annual contract increases.

The Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) was effectively unchanged from a week ago, with spot rates from Asia to North Europe at $800 per teu and at $596 per teu for Mediterranean ports.

For the transpacific trade, today’s SCFI reading from Asia to the US west coast was $1,177 per 40ft and $1,972 per 40ft for the ...