Is the ocean freight rate soaring? Cabin space is in short supply during peak season. You need to grab it in advance!

Is the ocean freight rate soaring? Cabin space is in short supply during peak season. You need to grab it in advance!

In July 2026, freight rates on multiple international sea routes from Asia to the United States, Canada, Europe, the Mediterranean, East Africa, Australia, New Zealand and other regions continued to rise, among which the North American route saw the most concentrated increase in prices.

Due to multiple factors such as the Red Sea shipping crisis, the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and the tariff window period, the current upward trend in freight rates has started since the end of April, which is significantly earlier than the peak season that usually begins in late July in previous years. In the first half of the year, some sellers could still rely on inventory to cushion cost pressure. However, as major promotions such as Black Friday and Christmas approach in the second half of the year, logistics prices in mainstream markets in Europe and America are expected to continue to rise.

The industry suggests that sellers lock in shipping space and rates as early as possible and ship in batches to avoid peak hours. In the long term, it is necessary to optimize the product structure, focus on high cost-performance and high-profit categories, and rely on brand premium to offset the continuously rising cross-border logistics costs.