Global – October 17, 2026 -- Transpacific container rates rose 2% last week to new peak-season highs on both US coasts, with West Coast prices above $7,600/FEU and East Coast prices near $9,800/FEU, according to the Freightos Baltic Index (FBX).

Global – October 17, 2026 -- Transpacific container rates remain at about $7,600/FEU to the US West Coast and $9,500/FEU to the East Coast, matching levels last seen in the 2024 peak season, even as weekly Freightos Baltic Index readings slipped 1% to 3% across major lanes.

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.

Global – October 17, 2026 -- Fuel surcharges can swing 15–25% within a single quarter, outpacing annual tender cycles, according to Freightos, which is promoting automated procurement tools to address the gap.

The company says many procurement teams still manage some of their largest cost lines with manual processes, spreadsheets and outdated rate data. It outlined its alternative in a webinar, now available as a recording, covering standardized and automated tendering and fuel and BAF updates between tender cycles that avoid a full renegotiation.

[SOURCE_CITY] – October 17, 2026 -- Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF) surcharges can swing 15–25% within a single quarter, making them one of the most volatile cost lines in freight procurement, according to a new procurement playbook from Freightos.

The guide argues that rigid annual contracts and slow negotiation cycles cannot keep pace with disruptions ranging from the pandemic and geopolitical tensions to climate-related events and market volatility. It promotes an agile model built on short-term tenders, real-time data and flexible supplier relationships.

Global – October 17, 2026 -- Asia-US West Coast container rates rose 4% last week to more than $8,100/FEU, while Asia-N. Europe prices fell 15% to $3,700/FEU, according to the Freightos Baltic Index. The split shows transpacific demand holding near peak-season levels as Asia-Europe volumes cool.

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.

Global – October 17, 2026 -- Typhoon-driven congestion and elevated fuel costs could set a higher floor for container rates before the pre-Lunar New Year rush begins, according to Freightos Group's latest Global Freight Outlook webinar, hosted by Head of Research Judah Levine.

Global – October 17, 2026 -- Asia-N. Europe container rates fell 2-3% last week to $3,260 per FEU, and Asia-Mediterranean rates fell to $3,555 per FEU, as carriers send more vessels through the Red Sea. Rates on both lanes have slid since mid-July, according to the Freightos Baltic Index.

Global – October 17, 2026 -- Asia-Mediterranean container prices rose 7% to $3,800/FEU last week, about 70% above year-ago levels, as repeated Houthi missile attacks on Riyadh airport raised the risk of renewed Red Sea strikes just as shippers enter 2027 contract tendering, according to the Freightos Baltic Index.