Spot rates

If container capacity stays in oversupply, what is the new “equilibrium point” of the ocean freight cycle?

In 2025, the global container shipping market is once again facing a familiar pattern: fleet capacity is growing faster than trade. A mid-2025 analysis citing Alphaliner projected global container throughput growth at around 2% for 2025, while fleet capacity was expected to increase by more than 6.3%.

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How Will the 2025 Shipping Alliances - Change the game for Vietnamese Shippers?

How Will the 2025 Shipping Alliances - Change the game for Vietnamese Shippers?

In 2025, the container shipping industry is entering a major “reshuffle”. The 2M alliance has been dissolved, Maersk has joined forces with Hapag-Lloyd to form the Gemini Cooperation, MSC is operating independently with its own global network, and the remaining alliances are also restructuring services and port calls.

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Asian Cross-Border Corridors - Which Paths Cut Lead Time Without “Inflating” Cost?

Asian Cross-Border Corridors - Which Paths Cut Lead Time Without “Inflating” Cost?

New infrastructure from China-Laos-Thailand rail and Vietnam-China expressways to India–Bangladesh corridors is redrawing Asia’s logistics map. But shorter lead time doesn’t automatically mean better cost if you overlook “soft bottlenecks” like procedures, quarantine, yard capacity, and gateway quality. The practical question: which corridors to pick, how to mix modes, and how to design contracts and data?

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Have Container Rates Hit a “New Bottom”? Should We Re-negotiate 2026 Contracts Now?

Have Container Rates Hit a “New Bottom”? Should We Re-negotiate 2026 Contracts Now?

Spot rates are moving sideways at low levels while schedule reliability has yet to recover in a durable way. In that context, is “betting” on long, fixed contracts truly safe? Or is now the right time to pivot to a more flexible model that locks core costs while keeping room to adjust with the market?

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Tech Reset 2025: The Supply Chain Investment Landscape

Tech Reset 2025: The Supply Chain Investment Landscape

The 2025 technology market survey by Inbound Logistics shows a strong upswing in vendor revenues; 58% of companies reported growth of 10% or more over the past year, reflecting the pressing need for digitization and automation amid rising labor costs and persistent talent shortages. This “tech reset” is not an impulsive buying spree but a disciplined re-ordering of solution portfolios by business impact, time to value, and organizational readiness.

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Trans-Pacific 2025: “Early Peak - Long Trough” and How Vietnamese Exporters Can Ride the Freight Waves

Trans-Pacific 2025: “Early Peak - Long Trough” and How Vietnamese Exporters Can Ride the Freight Waves

The Asia - US ocean peak season in 2025 arrived early and cooled quickly: rates surged in the early - mid year but flattened and fell in Q3-Q4. US retailers turned cautious, with full - year imports projected to drop 5.6% versus 2024. In this “early peak - long trough” setting, Vietnamese exporters must rethink booking plans, contracts, and risk hedging to protect margins and delivery schedules.

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Container Freight Rates from Asia Continue to Decline: Congestion and Market Outlook?

Container Freight Rates from Asia Continue to Decline: Congestion and Market Outlook?

(VLR) Container freight spot rates from Asia continue their downward trend, even as the shipping market faces ongoing congestion at U.S. East Coast ports. The recent strike by the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) caused temporary bottlenecks, but industry experts suggest that these disruptions will not have a long-term impact on rates. What are the main drivers behind this decline, and what does the future hold for the container shipping market?

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ILA Port Strike: Rising Congestion and Economic Impact

ILA Port Strike: Rising Congestion and Economic Impact

The ongoing dockworker strike at East and Gulf Coast ports in the U.S. is causing significant disruptions to supply chains and the economy. With more than 45 container ships waiting and potential economic losses reaching $5 billion per day, concerns are mounting over shipment delays and rising consumer prices in the coming weeks.

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