International Shipping and Logistics Market Update - Week 19/2025 | Phaata

International shipping and logistics market update - Week 19/2025

Table of Contents

1. World Container Index Week 19/2025

2. Asia - North America Ocean Freight Rates

3. Asia - Europe Ocean Freight Rates

4. Northern America - Asia Ocean Freight Rates

5. Northern Europe - Asia Ocean Freight Rates

6. Conclusions and Market Reviews by Phaata

1. World Container Index Week 19/2025

Drewry's Global Composite Container Freight Rate Index in Week 19/2025 continued to decrease by 1% to 2,076 USD/FEU compared to the previous week. This rate index is 46% higher than the pre-pandemic average of 2019 ($1,420).

Drewry's World Container Index Week 19/2025 (Photo: Phaata)

2. Asia-North America Ocean Freight Rates

Ocean freight rates from Asia to the West Coast of North America in Week 19/2025 continued to decline by 5.62% week-on-week to $2,521/FEU. This is down 14.95% month-on-month, according to Xeneta data.

In both weeks 18 and 19, capacity on the Asia to West Coast of North America trade was around 16% below normal levels. This was due to a sharp drop in demand, coupled with canceled sailings from China to the United States. However, since Week 17, demand from China has not decreased further and there has not been any significant increase in demand from the Southeast Asia region.

Although there was an improvement in the number of cancellations in Week 20, Phaata believes that this is not a sustainable improvement, as the cancellation rate is forecast to increase in the following week in Week 21. We expect the number of sailings in the coming period to continue the downward trend.

Currently, there are about 10 service routes that have been temporarily or indefinitely suspended by shipping alliances including: Ocean Alliance (including CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen and OOCL), Premier Alliance (including ONE, HMM, YML) and ZIM / MSC.

Regarding empty container equipment, the overall supply capacity is still guaranteed. There are no significant concerns about shortages at this time.

Please regularly follow the articles on Phaata International Logsitcs Marketplace to update market developments quickly.

Asia-North America Freight Rates | Week 19/2025 (Photo: Phaata.com)

US Tariff Update:

- US and UK Reach Trade Deal: President Trump announced this week that the US has reached a trade deal with the UK. This is the first deal the US has announced since imposing comprehensive tariffs earlier this year. Under the deal, the US will reduce tariffs on cars, steel and aluminium on the UK, while the UK will reduce non-tariff barriers on US beef, ethanol fuel, machinery and other products.

The base 10% reciprocal tariff will remain in place on all UK imports.

UK carmakers will be granted a lower tariff quota: The first 100,000 UK vehicles imported into the US each year will be subject to a base tariff of 10%, instead of the current 27.5%.
Tariffs on UK steel and aluminium will be reduced from 25% to 0%.

The timeline for implementation of the deal is unclear at this time as US and UK officials still need to finalise the specifics of the deal.

- De Minimis exemption expires for imports from China/Hong Kong: Shortly after midnight on May 2, the de minimis exemption – which allows shipments of goods under $800 to enter the US duty-free – expired for imports originating from China. Effective May 2, shipments under $800 from China/Hong Kong are subject to the following fees:

• Parcel: 145% base rate, plus item-specific rates
• Post: 120% base rate or a flat $100 fee (rising to $200 on June 1) per item

In addition, de minimis will be eliminated for all other countries once the full system is in place.

- US-China trade talks to begin this week: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer will meet with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Switzerland from May 9 to 12, marking the first face-to-face talks between the US and China since trade tensions escalated in March. Bessent did not predict that the US and China would reach a trade deal at the meeting, but stated that “we have to cool down before we can move forward.”

- Foreign films face 100% tariffs: On May 4, President Trump announced on Truth Social that he would immediately begin the process of imposing a 100% tariff on all films produced abroad. Anything that involves filming abroad — including a large portion of independent films and streaming content — would be subject to the new tariffs.

- Pharmaceutical tariffs to be announced: On May 5, President Trump announced that he would announce pharmaceutical tariffs “in the next two weeks” and signed an executive order that includes several initiatives to boost domestic prescription drug production.

3. Asia-Europe Ocean Freight Rates

Container rates from Asia to Northern Europe continued to decline by 2.59% week-on-week in the week of 19/2025, to $2,033/FEU. This is down 10.87% month-on-month, according to Xeneta data.

According to Alphaliner, Northern European imports fell 2.4% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025‌. This reflects a decline in consumer spending in the Northern European region.

Although there was seasonal replenishment activity in early May, it was insignificant. European retail demand remains sluggish due to inflationary pressures (with the Eurozone CPI at 3.1% year-on-year) and weak purchasing power.

Oversupply continues; carriers will further cut capacity through cancellations. Sea-Intelligence forecasts that ‌cancellations‌ in May across Asia-Europe could surge to 12-15%‌, exceeding its initial forecast of 8-10%.

According to Sea-Intelligence, northern European hub ports (including Rotterdam, Hamburg) are facing ‌5-7 day ‌call delays‌ due to labor shortages and increased vessel concentration. This will impact operating efficiency and vessel turnaround times.

On the freight rate front, the Shanghai Container Freight Index (SCFI) has been falling steadily in recent weeks, indicating that demand is weakening. Since its peak this year in Week 11 of $1,582, the SCFI has fallen 24%—currently at $1,200 in Week 19.

Leading carriers MSC and CMA have announced modest reductions in FAK rates in the second half of May, reflecting a strategic approach to maintaining market share and encouraging cargo bookings.

Phaata International logistics Marketplace forecasts that rates are likely to stabilize in the coming weeks, with the decline slowing as carriers work to adjust capacity to balance demand and maintain rates.

Asia-Europe Freight Rates | Week 19/2025 (Photo: Phaata.com)

4. North America - Asia Ocean Freight Rates

North America (West Coast) to Asia freight rates continued to decrease by 3.67% in the week of 19/2025 to USD 603/FEU. This price decreased by 4.89% compared to the previous month, according to Xeneta data.

North America (West Coast) - Asia freight rates | Week 19/2025 (Photo: Phaata.com)

5. Northern Europe - Asia Ocean Freight Rates

Northern Europe - Asia freight rates in the week of 19/2025 reversed sharply compared to the previous week, increasing by 12.17% to USD 212/FEU; this price decreased by 6.19% compared to the previous month, according to Xeneta data.

Container Freight rates from Northern Europe to Asia | Week 19/2025 (Photo: Phaata.com)

6. Conclusion and Market Reviews by Phaata

The international container shipping market in Week 19/2025 continues to face many difficulties, with weak demand on major routes still being the leading factor. Freight rates on these routes continue to be under downward pressure despite strong capacity reduction efforts from shipping lines.

The volatility of US trade policy is emerging as a major destabilizing factor, capable of reshaping trade flows and logistics costs. Import-export businesses need to closely monitor these developments to make timely adjustments. The expiration of the De Minimis exemption for Chinese goods is a typical example with immediate impact.

Operational issues at Northern European ports are starting to put additional pressure on the supply chain, which could exacerbate the situation if not addressed.

The short-term outlook remains challenging. Demand is yet to show clear signs of recovery, while carriers will continue to struggle with capacity management. Geopolitical factors and trade policies will continue to be major unknowns.

For shippers/exporters, freight rates on key routes may continue to adjust downward and become more profitable, but they face risks to schedule reliability due to blank sailings and sudden changes in trade policies that could impact final costs and sourcing strategies.

In summary, the market in Week 19/2025 shows a more complex picture, where economic (weak demand) and political (trade policy) factors are intertwined, creating a volatile and unpredictable business environment for the global logistics and import-export industry. Phaata International Logsitcs Marketplace recommends that import-export businesses and logistics companies closely monitor market indicators and updated information to have flexible response strategies and appropriate adjustments.
 

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Source: Phaata.com

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