Amid uncertain trade outlook, higher Asia-US container rates the only sure bet

Shippers continue to fuel upward movement in trans-Pacific container rates as 2025 approaches, and there are likely more increases on the way.

While frontloading by importers looking to beat tariffs threatened by President-elect Donald Trump on China goods helped U.S. gateways to record volumes in November, prices aren’t expected to decline all that much amid a host of looming factors in the coming weeks. 

Rates for containers moving from Asia to U.S. West Coast ports increased 8% to $4,825 per...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/amid-uncertain-trade-outlook-higher-asia-us-container-rates-the-only-sure-bet

Mexico free trade zones worth exploring for stateside international shippers

It’s no surprise that the U.S. West Coast ports have seen such horrendous congestion — everything seems to funnel through Southern California. 

The Port of Long Beach reported last month that it moved more cargo in 2021 than any year on record, handling 9,384,368 twenty-foot equivalent units. This represents a 15.7% year-over-year (yoy) increase in containers overall, including a 14.6% yoy increase in imports (4,581,846 TEUs), smashing the previous container record set just a year prior.

As the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/mexico-free-trade-zones-worth-exploring-for-stateside-international-shippers