According to The Loadstar, intra-Asia freight rates climbed for the fifth consecutive week as typhoon-induced port congestion in China and transhipment bottlenecks in Busan, Hong Kong, and Singapore tightened vessel supply across key regional trade lanes.
Rate surge driven by weather and infrastructure strain
The Drewry Intra-Asia Container Index (IACI) rose 9% from 27 August to $1,312 per 40ft container on 3 September. Drewry attributed the increase to Typhoon Saudel, which forced closures of Shanghai and Ningbo ports from 26–28 August, compounding delays from earlier typhoons including Bavi, Noul, Dolphin, and Narra.
Vessel waiting times spiked in Week 35: the average berth delay reached 98 hours in Shanghai and 54 hours in Ningbo. These operational disruptions rippled across the network, worsening scheduling reliability at major transhipment hubs and extending transit times for shippers throughout the region.
Sharp route-specific increases reflect cascading impact
Several major intra-Asia routes posted steep weekly gains: the Shanghai–Busan rate jumped 30% to $925 per 40ft, while Shanghai–Laem Chabang rose 28% to $1,310 per 40ft. Geopolitical pressure added further upward momentum — Shanghai–Jebel Ali increased 6% to $8,254 per 40ft, reflecting ongoing Middle East tensions.
The Shanghai Containerised Freight Index echoed this trend on 4 September: the Shanghai–South-east Asia rate climbed 12% from 28 August to $893 per teu, and the Shanghai–Busan rate gained 7% to $248 per teu.
Bunker costs and carrier adjustments compound pressure
Rising fuel prices are set to sustain freight rate inflation: very-low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) prices climbed $30 month-on-month to approximately $850 per tonne, while high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) rose $50 to roughly $660 per tonne in Singapore and Zhoushan ports, according to the Baltic Exchange.
Regional carriers are also adjusting networks. Japanese operator Kambara Kisen will revise its NK1 service starting 22 September, replacing Otaru with Sapporo on a three-week rotation using three vessels each with capacity of 1,091 teu. The revised loop will serve Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Toyama, Niigata, Sapporo, Kanazawa, and back to Dalian.
Source: The Loadstar
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
