Due to the impact of the typhoon, ocean freight prices continue to rise.

Recently, the Northwest Pacific has entered a period of concentrated typhoon activity. Several tropical cyclones, including Super Typhoon Saudel (No. 18) and Typhoon Zitan (No. 19), have formed and continue to affect the coastal areas of East and South China. Coupled with the traditional peak shipping season's demand for cargo, the operational efficiency and container turnover of major domestic ports have been disrupted in stages, leading to a significant upward trend in international shipping freight rates. According to the latest SCFI Shanghai Export Container Freight Index, as of August 21, the index has risen for three consecutive periods, reaching 3409.63 points, a cumulative increase of over 4% since the beginning of the month. The South American West Coast route, driven by demand for automobiles and construction vehicles, saw its freight rate index rise by 16.3% month-on-month at the beginning of the month, further amplifying the impact of this freight rate fluctuation.

Based on current market feedback, this round of ocean freight rate increases is primarily driven by three factors:

1. Temporary Port Operation Disruptions: Affected by strong winds and heavy rains from the outer bands of the typhoon, as well as temporary port closures, key hub ports such as Shanghai, Ningbo, Qingdao, and those in South China experienced temporary slowdowns in transport. Some container truck transport and terminal container pickup operations were delayed, directly leading to a decrease in the turnover efficiency of some shipping routes and a temporary tightening of available space.

2. Concentrated Peak Season Demand: Currently, the European and American markets are experiencing peak Christmas and Black Friday stocking seasons, while year-end procurement orders from emerging markets such as Brazil and Africa continue to climb. Exports of engineering-related goods, such as Chinese-made electric tricycles, remain high, further exacerbating the tightness of space on major shipping routes.

3. Shipping Company Capacity Adjustments: To cope with port congestion and changes in space supply and demand, leading shipping companies have recently proactively implemented measures such as empty schedules and reduced space allocation. These measures, combined with previously implemented increases in fuel surcharges and peak season surcharges, have jointly driven a steady rise in market freight rates.