Asia-US container rates mostly higher; US considers Jones Act waiver, looks at surcharges in International Shipping News 16/03/2026 Rates for shipping containers from Asia to the US were mostly higher this week, while the US government is considering waiving the Jones Act to help lower crude oil prices amid the US-Iran conflict, and the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) is looking at surcharges on American shippers from carriers to make sure they do not violate US law. CONTAINER RATES Container rates were mostly higher this week, with costs to the West Coast between $1,750/FEU (40-foot equivalent unit) and $2,500/FEU, and costs to the East Coast between $2,500/FEU-$3,080/FEU. Rates at online freight shipping marketplace and platform provider Freightos rose by 10% to the West Coast and fell by 9% to the East Coast. Judah Levine, head of research at Freightos, said disruptions from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have been limited to containers already headed to the region of stuck in Gulf ports. “Ports in countries like India and Bangladesh – significant exporters to the Gulf states – are reporting backlogs,” Levine said. “And yard utilization levels are increasing at transshipment hubs in Asia where some Gulf-bound containers are now being diverted.” Levine said that yard density at those ports could increase somewhat in the coming days as shippers who so far decided to wait and see may choose to divert Gulf-bound containers there as the Strait remains closed. Rates from supply chain advisors Drewry rose slightly to both coasts, as shown in the following chart, as the ongoing Middle East conflict continues to affect global supply chains, supporting higher freight rates in the short term. According to Drewry’s Container Capacity Insight, seven blank sailings have been announced for the next week on the transpacific East and West Coast trade routes. Drewry expects spot rates on this trade to increase in the coming weeks. Rates from ocean and freight rates analytics firm Xeneta were slightly lower compared with the previous week. Peter Sand, Xeneta chief analyst, said the ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to send shockwaves through ocean supply chains. “Carriers have cancelled services into the Arabian Gulf, but supply chains do not stop. Some shippers simply cannot pull the plug – they need their cargo to keep moving,” Sand said. “Alternative ports like Nhava Sheva in India are being used as temporary storage and transshipment points, bringing cargo closer to the Gulf. Congestion is building and is toxic for supply chains as carriers and shippers try to identify the least worst option for their cargo.” Rates from global logistics company Freight Right on its TrueFreight Index (TFX) were down slightly this week. Robert Khachatryan, founder and CEO of Freight Right Logistics, said the anticipated free fall in rates following the Lunar New Year holiday has not materialized, and pricing remains at or near carrier breakeven levels. Rates on the New York Shipping Exchange Freight Index (NYFI) edged slightly higher this week while rates on the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI), which tracks rates for containers leaving Shanghai, surged by almost 15%. Container ships and costs for shipping containers are relevant to the chemical industry because while most chemicals are liquids and are shipped in tankers, container ships transport polymers, such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), are shipped in pellets. Titaniu