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Carriers opt for more blanked sailings to bolster freight rates

Container spot freight rates on all three of the largest east-west trades - Asia-Europe, transpacific, and transatlantic - were on the rise this week. After three months of post-peak season declines, the Asia-Europe trades experienced a second week of spot freight rate increases, according to Drewry's World Container Index (WCI). The WCI's Shanghai-Rotterdam leg was up 3% week on week, to end at to $3,632 per 40ft, while its Shanghai-Genoa route saw pricing increase 5%, to $4,152 per 40ft. As is often the case, this week's WCI Asia-Europe spot rate levels were indicated by last week's Shanghai Containerised Freight Index (SCFI) figures, which showed Shanghai-North Europe at $3,547 per 40ft, and Shanghai-Mediterranean at $4,097 per 40ft, while analysts at Linerlytica noted that "actual spot rates remain weak with current carrier rates at below the SCFI's assessment", which chimes with some of the unsolicited spot market offers The Loadstar received from Chinese forwarders this week. In an effort to stave off a downturn in pricing as the market moves into November, carriers are increasing the number of blanked sailings - according to Drewry's Container Capacity Insight, eight blank sailings have been announced for next week, up from two this week, "indicating tight capacity", as well as introducing new freight all kinds (FAK) prices on Asia-Europe. This week MSC announced it would apply an FAK of $4,500 per 40ft on Asia-North Europe, $5,000 on Asia-west Mediterranean, and $5,100 on Asia-east Mediterranean on 1 November, while CMA CGM is aiming for $4,900 on Asia-west Mediterranean and $5,200 on Asia-east Mediterranean ports for the same date. However, Linerlytica predicts the new November pricing will likely fail, although it is worth noting that in MSC's case, the FAK rate to North Europe is the same level as that introduced in mid-October and only $500 per 40ft up in terms of Mediterranean destinations. European forwarders reported receiving discounted offers on FAK levels throughout the first half of this month and suggested this will be repeated in November. Meanwhile, transpacific spot rates grew more modestly in a week which US west coast forwarder Freight Right described as "a market stabilising". The WCI's Shanghai-Los Angeles leg rose 2% week on week, to finish at $8,007 per 40ft, while the Shanghai-New route was York up 1%, to $10,166 per 40ft, with Drewry recording two blank sailings scheduled for next week, "down from six this week, indicating more effective capacity". "Since strong US import demand continues to support freight rates, Drewry expects rates to remain stable next week," the consultancy added. However, North American demand levels remain open to question, with Freight Right reporting that a much-anticipated seasonal slowdown was beginning with the peak shipping season "officially wrapping up, and volume is beginning a natural seasonal decline", combining with a modest injection of capacity and some carriers offering discounts to gain market share. "While baseline market rates remain flat through month-end, additional capacity is opening up," it said. "Aggressive pricing anomalies exist among niche carriers, such as Ocean Network Express (ONE), offering rates significantly below general market averages, though space on these lower-cost options is fully booked through October," it added. It further added that a spot rate of around $8,000 per 40ft was now common on the Asia-US east coast trade. "Space conditions have eased in tandem with the west coast, ending the extreme tightness observed earlier in the season," it said. Meanwhile, rates on the transatlantic westbound head-haul grew again this week, with the WCI's Rotterdam-New York showing 3% week-on-week increases, to end at $3,181 per 40ft, maintaining a a months-long run that has seen the spot rate persistently above $3,000 - it is currently 85% up year on year.

Qantas Freight adds to freighter fleet

Qantas Freight has taken delivery of another Airbus A321 converted freighter as part of its agreement with Australia Post. The freighter is the first of three additional A321Fs that will be delivered to Qantas to help it meet growing demand for "fast and reliable parcel deliveries across Australia". The additional two A321P2F freighters are scheduled to join the Qantas Freight fleet by March 2027. The Airbus aircraft will be used to replace the smaller BAE 146-300 freighters that they will replace, helping "support growing parcel volumes, reduce emissions and improving network efficiency across Australia". Following delivery of the aircraft, Qantas has a fleet of eight A321 freighters. The converted A321 freighters offer a capacity of around 28 tonnes, while the BAE 146-300s offer around 12 tonnes of capacity. "The delivery of the three aircraft will add up to 20% capacity to the Qantas-operated dedicated freighter network, increasing the capability to reliably uplift up to 20,000 Australia Post and StarTrack parcels on each and every flight," the airline said. Qantas pointed out that the freighter had arrived just in time for the Black Friday sales period and the peak Christmas delivery season. The new freighters will support overnight and next-day deliveries across the country and will service all Qantas Freight domestic terminals including the new 24-hour terminal at Western Sydney International (WSI) Airport, which commenced operations in July. Qantas Freight and Australia Post recently extended their contract for another 10 years. "The renewed agreement will support the movement of more than 75 million parcels and other freight items annually across Australia and overseas," the airline said. Australia Post general manager linehaul fleet and special services Mark Davies said: "These new aircraft will help us move more parcels across our network and provide additional capacity at a time when online shopping continues to grow and major retail events are driving record parcel volumes. "The addition of these aircraft, alongside the opening of Western Sydney International Airport's 24-hour freight terminal, will help strengthen the resilience and capacity of our network for years to come."

Singapore must look beyond the box to secure its logistics future

Dropping behind Shanghai and Ningbo-Zhoushan in the global container port rankings, and seeing Malaysia's Port Klang and Port of Tanjung Pelepas nip at its heels should serve as a wake-up call for Singapore, in a changing competitive landscape for box trades For Singapore, this is about more than losing a place in a league table. It is an existential question asking whether a nation built on maritime trade can adapt to a world where supply chain control matters as much as moving containers. As Singapore spent years living off its geographical advantages, deepwater harbour and reputation for efficiency to guarantee continued dominance, its competitors have expanded their infrastructure, attracted manufacturing investment, and developed integrated logistics ecosystems. The danger now for Singapore is that it continues competing on volumes, while the market moves towards supply chain orchestration. How do the two differ? A transit port moves containers; a supply chain orchestrator helps determine where goods are sourced, stored, distributed, and financed, allowing it to capture greater economic value, even if cargo physically passes through another country. Part of the problem for Singapore with its nearest rival is that it simply cannot compete with Malaysia when it comes to land availability, meaning it should not focus on warehouses and distribution centres. Instead, it should tap into the long-held advantages it has in expertise, connectivity, technology, and managing complex regional supply chains. That means attracting multinational manufacturers, cargo owners, and third-party logistics providers, particularly those active in high-value sectors such as biopharma, semiconductors, and aerospace spares, thereby building on the island's existing strengths. And the objective should be keeping procurement, inventory management, supply chain finance, and regional logistics decisions in Singapore, even if the boxes end up elsewhere. All of this necessitates closer integration between sea, air, and land transport, back-up by digital systems giving businesses greater visibility and control. And if Singapore's transport infrastructure operates as a connected ecosystem, its compact geography could prove a further significant advantage. And the pending Tuas Port, with its planned capacity of 65m teu on full completion in the 2040s, will have a part to play, even if success cannot be judged by volume alone. With nearshoring, manufacturing diversification, and geopolitical disruption reshaping trade, uninterrupted container growth cannot be taken for granted. For this reason, Tuas should, instead, provide resilience, operational flexibility, and capacity to absorb sudden changes in trade flows. Investment in alternative marine fuels and emissions data could also attract shippers facing tougher sustainability requirements. But again, infrastructure is only half the equation. No commercially ambitious ecosystem? Then even the most automated port risks becoming little more than an efficient place to park containers. Government has a role to play in this. Yes, the Ministry of Transport's new Connectivity & Logistics division recognises the need to integrate maritime, aviation, and land transport, but creating a coordinating body will not automatically deliver the commercial agility needed to compete. Instead, the government must work to embed industry expertise in its strategy. Consultations have their place, but they cannot replace the practical intelligence of logistics providers, cargo owners, and technology companies. These businesses understand rising costs, unreliable corridors, and customers' needs. They should help develop and execute strategy, not simply comment on government proposals. Singapore's position is under pressure, but its future as a supply chain powerhouse is far from decided. In 1972, Singapore made a bold bet on containerisation by developing Tanjong Pagar. The infrastructure, expertise, and connectivity that emerged from that remain valuable assets. The challenge now is to turn them into a more ambitious commercial proposition. If '72 brought containerisation, '26 requires a similarly decisive shift: from moving boxes to orchestrating supply chains.