Ocean container rates on major east-west trade lanes spiked by at least $1,000 per forty-foot equivalent unit in a single week, as peak season cargo rushed onto vessels and carriers pushed through rate hikes and surcharges that took effect June 1.

Transpacific spot rates to the US West Coast surged 19% to more than $5,700 per FEU, climbing from roughly $3,200 earlier in June. East Coast rates rose 13% to $7,400 per FEU, with daily readings moving above $8,000, a level that exceeds the 2025 peak season high. The pricing wave extended beyond US lanes: Asia to Europe rates climbed 13% to $4,700 per FEU, and Mediterranean rates jumped 16% to $6,300, both above last year's peak season highs.

The surge carries direct consequences for US inland freight. Import volume that lands at Los Angeles, Long Beach, Savannah and other gateways converts into drayage, intermodal and truckload demand within weeks, and a compressed peak season tends to concentrate that freight into a tighter window.

Shippers who delayed bookings in the spring now face the choice of paying spot premiums or risking rollover of their cargo as vessel space tightens through the summer.

Source: FreightWaves - https://www.freightwaves.com/news/box-rates-soar-1000-in-one-week-on-peak-rush