Asia-US container rates continue to soar; liquid tanker rates steady to softer in International Shipping News 04/07/2026 Rates for shipping containers from east Asia and China to the US continued to surge as importers pull volumes forward to beat impending tariffs, while liquid tanker rates were steady to softer. CONTAINER RATES Spot rates from online freight shipping marketplace and platform provider Freightos rose by 8% to the West Coast this week and have risen by almost three-and-a-half times, to $6,236/FEU (40-foot equivalent unit) this week from $1,806/FEU on 27 February. Judah Levine, head of research at Freightos, said an early start to this year’s peak season on the transpacific has sent rates spiking since May. He said carriers are shifting capacity from secondary lanes to service the increased demand. “Transpacific East Coast rates are now $1,000/FEU higher than last year’s frontloading-driven summer high, with West Coast prices just above their 2025 peak,” Levine said. Levine said the early peak season rush is attributed to frontloading ahead of carriers fuel surcharges, manufacturer price increases, and the approaching tariff deadline. “If enough shippers are indeed pulling peak season volumes forward, we could expect the early start to mean an early peak season unwind as well, possibly sometime in July,” Levine said. “But delays at congested ports could mean that this volume strength will stretch on a little longer than many shippers may have preferred.” Levine said carriers are set to introduce more rate increases to start July, so the degree of success carriers have with these price hikes should reflect where the market is in terms of this year’s peak season peak. Rates to the West Coast from supply chain advisors Drewry rose by 10% this week and are up by almost three times from where they were on 27 February, as shown in the following chart. Drewry said eight blank sailings have been announced on the transpacific trade route for the next week, refl