Red Sea – October 17, 2026 -- Asia-Mediterranean container rates fell 12% to $4,200/FEU last week as carriers restored Red Sea and Suez Canal routings. The drop came even as Houthi forces seized a strategic port and island directly on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait chokepoint, according to the latest Freightos weekly analysis.

Washington – October 17, 2026 -- Container rates from Asia to the US West Coast rose 4% last week to $8,400/FEU, a new high for the year, according to the Freightos Baltic Index. East Coast prices held level at about $9,600/FEU, $200/FEU below the late-August peak. Resilient demand kept pressure on rates through month-end.