MORENICE CHINA TRADE & SHIPPING UPDATE · SEPTEMBER 4, 2026
US-bound freight firms, intra-Asia rates jump again, and Hormuz disruption keeps Gulf routing risk high
Container freight markets are becoming increasingly route-specific. The latest Drewry data shows stronger Transpacific pricing and another sharp rise in intra-Asia freight, while Asia–Europe rates are easing. Meanwhile, vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted by renewed regional conflict. For overseas buyers, route reliability, space availability and full landed cost now matter more than the headline global freight index.
1. US-bound container rates rose again while Europe softened
Drewry’s World Container Index was broadly unchanged at USD 4,465 per 40ft container for the week ending September 3, but the headline figure hides significant differences between trade lanes.
Shanghai–Los Angeles rose 5% to USD 7,185 per 40ft container, while Shanghai–New York increased 3% to USD 9,587. Asia–Europe rates moved lower. Drewry also reported six blank sailings for the following week, twice the number in the current week.
US importers should not assume that stable global freight rates mean stable China–US costs.
For new orders, separate:
product price→freight quotation→quotation validity→destination charges
This reduces disputes when production takes several weeks and freight changes before cargo is ready.
2. Intra-Asia freight rose another 9% as typhoons disrupted Chinese ports
Drewry’s Intra-Asia Container Index climbed 9% to USD 1,312 per 40ft container on September 3, marking its fifth consecutive weekly rise.
Recent typhoon disruptions affected Shanghai and Ningbo operations and added congestion across Asian transshipment networks. Drewry reported average vessel waiting times reaching about 98 hours in Shanghai and 54 hours in Ningbo during Week 35.
Shanghai–Jebel Ali freight also rose 6% to approximately USD 8,254 per 40ft container in Drewry’s assessment.
China sourcing involving Southeast Asia, South Asia or transshipment hubs such as Singapore, Busan or Hong Kong may face higher feeder costs and longer connection times.
Buyers should confirm:
actual sailing→transshipment port→connection time→rollover risk→full through rate
before comparing quotations.
3. Strait of Hormuz disruption remains a major Gulf shipping risk
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained well below recent averages after renewed US-Iran hostilities.
Preliminary Kpler data showed only four commodity vessels transiting the Strait on September 2, compared with a recent 10-day average of approximately 13 vessels. Vessel-tracking figures can later change because some ships reduce or disable AIS transmissions in high-risk waters.
Reuters reported on September 3 that Middle East tensions continued supporting oil prices near six-week highs and that disruption to commercial shipping remained a central concern.
For Iraq, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and eastern Saudi Arabia cargo, reconfirm routing shortly before loading.
Check:
carrier acceptance→actual vessel→discharge port→transshipment/landbridge→insurance→emergency surcharges
Fast-changing: security conditions around Hormuz can change quickly. A booking confirmation should not be treated as a guarantee that the original routing will remain unchanged.
4. China and Egypt agree to deepen supply-chain cooperation
At its September 3 press conference, China’s Ministry of Commerce confirmed that China and Egypt signed two new memoranda covering industrial and supply-chain economic cooperation and further development of the Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone.
MOFCOM said the two sides intend to strengthen supply-chain resilience and use industrial-zone cooperation to support further investment and trade.
This does not immediately change customs procedures or freight costs, but it is a useful medium-term signal for buyers trading between China, Egypt and the wider North African market.
For Egyptian importers, China–Egypt sourcing and logistics infrastructure are likely to remain a policy priority.
MORENICE BUYER NOTE
There is no single “China freight price.”
Rates and risks now differ substantially depending on destination, transshipment arrangement and regional security.
A safer buying process is:
Verify supplier→confirm product & compliance→confirm actual route→check space→calculate landed cost→then pay and ship
For time-sensitive cargo, reliable routing can be worth more than the cheapest freight quote.
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