Mainstream routes generally rise, with prominent increases in South American and African routes

       South American routes: Starting from March 1, 2026 (effective from the date of shipment until further notice), the four major shipping companies of Dafei, Maersk, and Hapag Lloyd will simultaneously implement a comprehensive rate increase (GRI), covering all ports in Asia (including China, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and Bangladesh) to the east and west coasts of South America, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, rather than a single local route price adjustment. The price increase this time is a uniform increase of $1000 per standard container, covering dry containers, refrigerated containers, special containers, and OOG oversized goods, with exemptions for non cargo and container types. At present, the route is affected by the backlog of pre holiday shipments and the temporary cancellation of some voyages, resulting in an overall tightening of transportation capacity. The supply and demand of market cabin space continue to be tight, and most shipping companies sold out their cabin space in early to mid March. Temporary cabin replenishment is not only difficult to book, but also requires additional expedited costs. Foreign trade cargo owners suggest completing cabin locking and cabin confirmation 7-10 days in advance to avoid delayed delivery.

       African routes: Starting from March 1st, Dafei will take the lead in imposing peak season surcharges (PSS) and double raising basic fares for core routes from the Far East to Africa, implementing differentiated pricing by region, and adjusting prices according to the popularity and operating costs of the routes. Among them, the core routes in South Africa and West Africa have increased their prices, with an additional charge of $1000 per TEU standard container; The price increase for East African routes such as Kenya and Tanzania has slightly slowed down, with a single TEU container price increase ranging from $700 to $1000. Mozambique and other ports have also followed up with price adjustments based on the $850/TEU standard. The price increase this time is compounded by local port congestion and the normalization of delays in African ports, resulting in a decrease in overall turnover efficiency of shipping routes. Shipping delays are generally 3-5 days, and space resources are concentrated in top shipping companies. Small and medium-sized freight forwarders have limited booking space. It is recommended that companies involved in African shipments calculate additional costs in advance and reserve sufficient delivery buffer periods.

       Europe, America and Canada routes: different from the centralized price adjustment in South America and Africa at the beginning of the month, the price increase of this route has been implemented in batches since the middle of March, led by Mediterranean Shipping and Delta Airlines, taking the combined price adjustment mode of "basic freight rate increase+simultaneous adjustment of fuel surcharge (BAF)" to further increase the comprehensive transportation cost. Among them, for European and Mediterranean near ocean routes, the increase in single 40 foot standard containers has generally exceeded $500; The US Canada long haul routes are affected by rising fuel costs and transoceanic travel expenses. In addition to the increase in basic freight rates, the fuel surcharge per container has been increased by an additional $50-150, resulting in a more significant overall cost increase. At present, although there is no extreme cabin shortage on this route, the shipping company is gradually controlling the amount of cabin space to avoid low price competition. The price of the last cabin near the shipping schedule continues to rise, and some shipping companies have set a time limit for freight rate locking. If the booking is not confirmed after the deadline, the new price will be implemented. For urgent shipments, it is necessary to finalize the freight rate and cabin space in advance to lock in costs and avoid the cost pressure caused by subsequent price increases.