Container rates slide as Red Sea routes reopen

Container freight rates on the main Asia–Europe lanes fell 12 percent this week, the steepest drop in two years, as major carriers resumed Red Sea transits and released capacity that had been absorbed by months of detours around the Cape of Good Hope.

The Shanghai–Rotterdam spot rate closed at $2,340 per forty-foot container, down from a peak above $5,000 during the disruption. Forwarders said contract negotiations for the autumn season are already reflecting the lower floor.

Analysts cautioned that the normalization cuts both ways: carriers face a capacity glut as diverted ships return to shorter rotations just as new tonnage ordered during the boom years is delivered.