News / Triple-whammy on the transatlantic drives rates even higher

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The triple challenge of soaring demand, port congestion and container shortages have led to a sharp increase in container freight fates on the transatlantic trade over the past few weeks.

The smallest of the main east-west shipping trades has traditionally been home to stable volumes and flat freight rates – according to the Freight Baltic Index, rates on the westbound headhaul North Europe-US east coast have hovered at around $1,800 per 40ft.

But at the end of March, they began to seriously ...