Freightos: Ocean Rates Stay Elevated as Shippers Brace for July Hikes

What made this update different from the earlier June jumps?

By this point, the story was less about a sudden breakout and more about prices holding at already-painful levels. When rates stay firm after multiple June increases, it usually means carriers think shipper urgency is still strong enough to defend another month of higher pricing.

Why were July hikes still on the table?

Freightos pointed to worsening congestion at major hubs in South Asia, the Far East, and Europe, with delays reducing available capacity. AJOT's coverage of the same update also noted that East Coast transpacific rates were roughly $1,000/FEU above last year's summer high, which shows just how stretched the market had become by the end of June.

Is this a cost problem or a service-risk problem?

It is both. High rates are the obvious headline, but the more expensive mistake is often assuming you can still book late and move on schedule. Once congestion starts cutting effective capacity, higher prices and weaker schedule reliability usually arrive together.

What Shippers Should Do

• Assume July quotes can move higher again and budget with that risk upfront.
• Build extra lead time into replenishment plans, because congestion-driven delays can erase any savings from waiting.
• Compare West Coast and East Coast routings on total landed cost, not just base ocean rate, since both lanes are now historically expensive.
• Keep close contact with your forwarder on rolled-cargo risk, not only on rate levels.