Container prices predicted to rise early 2025
2025 looks set to provide a few more banana skins in the international supply chain, and rising container prices are expected to be among those, according to a new survey by Container xChange.
The prospect of tariff changes (not least from incoming US President Trump), continued geopolitical risks and war implications, and ‘structural overcapacity’ could keep container rates volatile, so said the report.
A whopping 82% of 900 supply chain professionals surveying in China expect container prices to rise. That’s not entirely unusual, given persistent frontloading of orders ahead of Chinese New Year closures, points out Container xChange.
“Rising uncertainty and volatility will likely sustain container rates at elevated levels well into the Q1 of 2025,” said Christian Roeloffs, Co-founder and CEO of Container xChange. “The data indicates similar holding up of rates in Vietnam, where the country is increasingly becoming a key stop along the China-U.S. trade route. Similar patterns exist in Mexico, highlighting shifts of trade flows to circumvent tariffs by leveraging trade-friendly nations with strong ties to the U.S.”
China container price trends
Average prices for 40ft high cube cargo-worthy containers in China have been on a gradual decline in the recent months. However, the last 24 months reveals a steady stabilisation over the past six months (July – December 2024), following a period of sharp recovery earlier in the year, according to the report.
Vietnam container prices rise starkly in H2 2024
In Vietnam, average container prices surged sharply H2 2024, driven by rising demand and constrained capacity. Prices in Haiphong increased by an average of 42% between March and December 2024, while Ho Chi Minh saw an even steeper rise of 66% from January to December 2024.
www.container-xchange.com/market-intelligence-hub
