Container rates to face upward pressure through end-July on peak-season demand in International Shipping News 10/06/2026 Strong container freight rate momentum looks set to last at least until the end of July as carriers continue to cash in on the high peak season demand, according to shipping market intelligence firm Linerlytica. Rates for shipping containers from east Asia and China to the US have surged since the Iran-US conflict started three months ago. The Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI), which tracks rates for containers leaving Shanghai, saw rates surge by almost 16% last week and is now almost double the rate seen at the start of the US-Iran conflict. “The prolonged Hormuz blockade and high oil prices have not dampened cargo demand but have instead spurred further growth of clean energy goods while US imports have been boosted by the removal of the IEEPA (International Emergency Economic Powers Act) tariffs,” Linerlytica said. The firm anticipates carriers implementing another series of rate hikes in mid-June following the successful 1 June rate increase and peak season surcharge (PSS) application with the freight futures markets pricing in a July market peak. BAB EL-MANDEB STRAIT NEXT? Meanwhile, commercial vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited amid on-again, off-again peace talks between the US and Iran. One of the obstacles during the negotiations has been Israel’s attacks on Lebanon. On Tuesday, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said disrupting transits through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could be the next step if there is further military escalation in Gaza and Lebanon, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency. Brigadier General Esmaeil Qa’ani said such aggression “will further strengthen the resolve of the Axis of Resistance to expand its support for both fronts, move toward activating other fronts and bring the traffic conditions in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in line with t