The container market is experiencing a rush, with tight capacity on trans-Pacific routes. The Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) rose 8.1%, and the Drewry World Container Index (WCI) surged 41% last week.

However, analysts note that this won’t last long, as capacity is shifting to trans-Pacific routes, and spot freight rates may peak by mid-June.

Drewry predicts that the supply-demand balance will weaken again in the second half of the year, leading to a normalization of spot freight rates. The timing depends on changes in US tariff policies and the Section 301 investigation, though these factors remain uncertain.