Vessel capacity on critical trade lanes, specifically Asia-Europe and Transpacific routes, has largely recovered from the disruptions that followed the Iran war. However, despite this increase in available shipping space, freight rates across these key East-West corridors have not returned to their pre-crisis levels and remain considerably higher.
For freight forwarders and operations managers, this situation suggests that while physical capacity might be less constrained, other market dynamics, such as strong underlying demand, port congestion at destination, or ongoing geopolitical uncertainties, are likely contributing to the sustained high rates. This means that even with more ships available, securing competitive pricing for FCL and LCL shipments from Asia to Europe and North America will continue to be a challenge, potentially impacting budgeting and shipment profitability. Forwarders should anticipate continued volatility and factor in higher shipping costs when quoting clients and planning logistics.