Insights / TPT WEEKLY

Reading the
Trans-Pacific market.

Nick’s notes on freight rates, capacity and routing decisions. Read each issue for its market context, sources and practical shipping considerations.

Pier 300 Channel, container terminals and berthed vessels at the Port of Los Angeles, archive photo — Photo: Pier 300, Los Angeles. Port of Los Angeles (archive)

Nick / TPT WEEKLY 2026 W38 · September 14–20

Transpacific Rates Keep Rising. Where Will Cargo Go After Golden Week Blank Sailings?

USWC gains accelerate while USEC increases slow. MSC’s planned Emerald cancellation puts the focus on replacement sailing dates and space available for new bookings.

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A container ship alongside cranes in the West Basin at the Port of Los Angeles in early morning light. — Photo: Port of Los Angeles (archive)

Nick / TPT WEEKLY 2026 W37 · September 7–13

Transpacific Rates Rise as Imports Hold Firm. Can Blank Sailings Sustain the Gains?

The outlook for September US imports has been revised sharply higher, while transpacific spot rates continue to rise. On September 11, the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) reached USD 7,339/FEU for US West Coast base ports and USD 10,479/FEU for US East Coast base ports, up 1.34% and 1.50% week on week, respectively.

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Container ships and cranes at the Port of Long Beach, United States. — Port of Long Beach, United States · Photo: Logan Voss

Nick / TPT WEEKLY September 6, 2026

Can West Coast Rail Beat the Panama Route? A 40HQ Cost Test

Panama has eased one draft restriction, but the risk premium remains. A 40HQ cost model shows when a West Coast discharge plus rail move to the U.S. East Coast becomes commercially viable—and what file rate to ask the carrier for.

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