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Fremantle:
With wild weather on the horizon from 6–8 July, vessels off Fremantle were sent out to sea for safety. In response to the conditions, DP World confirmed it would pause operations from 2:00 PM Sunday, 6 July, through to 6:00 AM Monday, 7 July. Safety first as the port braces for the impact.
Sydney:
A powerful "bomb cyclone" rolled into Sydney on the afternoon of 1 July, bringing destructive winds (up to 125km/h), torrential rain, and heavy swells. The Bureau of Meteorology issued strong warnings, with conditions expected to ease by Thursday, 3 July. As a result, all vessels were secured on storm lines, and port operations were brought to a standstill—no loading, no unloading. Empty parks were closed, and several ships bypassed Sydney altogether, adding pressure to already strained terminal operations. Delays and congestion are expected to ripple through the week.
Brisbane:
We have been notified of a terminal shutdown at the Patrick Fisherman Islands Terminal. All ship and yard operations will cease between 0700 - 1500hrs on Sunday 13th July 2025.
Melbourne:
Due to strong winds currently affecting Victoria, several Melbourne empty container depots are experiencing intermittent closures.
Flinders Adelaide Container Terminal (FACT):
South Australia's sole container terminal since 1978, is undergoing a significant $350 million upgrade to enhance capacity and efficiency over the next three years. Key enhancements include:
Biosecurity Costs:
On June 30th, AQIS released ACN 2025/16 to outline that as of 1 July 2025, there will be changes to the biosecurity cost recovery charge on Full Import Declarations (FIDs) for goods arriving in Australia by air and sea.
As tabled below, the changes to the current charges will apply to imports from 1 July 2025.
In addition, the current charges for import cargo documentation for assessment through COLS will increase from $39 to $40 in line with the Department’s Cost Recovery Implementation statement (CRIS).
Further information > Fees and charges for biosecurity regulatory activity from 1 July 2024
In contrast to the first half of the month, the latter half of July has seen a significant uptick in cargo volume. This increase is largely attributed to the post–fiscal year-end cargo release following June, as well as the early momentum building toward peak season. As a result, carriers are actively working to elevate freight rates in the coming weeks.
Several major shipping lines – including OOCL, ANL, COSCO, PIL, and MSC – have already issued Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) notices. MSC’s surcharge is set to take effect from 15 July, while others have announced 1 August as their implementation date for new Named Account Contract (NAC) PSS rates.
The surcharges being introduced are substantial, with most carriers applying fees of USD 500.00 per TEU. To gain customer acceptance of these increases under long-term contract arrangements, carriers are expected to take advantage of current market conditions and aim to push rates even higher by mid-July.
By 15 July, market rates are projected to reach above USD 1,300.00 per TEU, with further increases targeted for 1 August, where carriers are aiming for levels of USD 1,600 per TEU. These aggressive moves reflect strong carrier confidence and a highly active market environment heading into the traditional peak season.
Most carriers are now closely monitoring competitors' pricing, not out of concern for demand, as was previously the case, but with a clear focus on identifying how to elevate rates to their highest potential. The objective has shifted from cautious pricing to strategic positioning aimed at maximising profitability in a heated market.
Shipping lines have not shown this level of hesitation in releasing new rates for quite some time. Historically, carriers would typically finalise second-half July pricing by early July. This year, however, several remained undecided even as late as the 9th. The hesitation stems from a desire to push rates to the market's upper limits following an extended off-season, while also grappling with the reality that the traditional peak season doesn’t fully arrive until early August.
Despite this internal conflict, market conditions have surpassed expectations, driven by several key developments:
The result? A transformed market landscape that has gone from subdued to highly active in just a matter of weeks.
Most Competitive Services:
Budget carriers such as CAT and CA2 have offered a final rate of approximately USD 1,250 per TEU. Maersk has re-entered the market, signalling interest in renewed collaboration. They have extended a preferential spot rate of USD 1,200 per TEU. These rates apply from China Main Ports (CMP) to Australia's East Coast (AUEC), valid for cargo loaded between 15th and 31st July.
Mid-Tier Services:
The NEAX (A1X) & ZAX/Wallaby services currently have set rates at between USD 1,250-1300 per TEU. Their vessels filled up ahead of official rate announcements, suggesting that strong demand will keep rates firm through the end of July.
Premium Services:
Leading premium service providers continue to set the tone for the market with their clear, confident, and decisive pricing strategies. Their strong market position allows them to take the lead, with many other carriers typically following suit when adjusting their own rate levels.
For the second half of July, these carriers have set rates at USD 1,400 per TEU. These benchmark figures are expected to influence broader market pricing in the weeks ahead.
West Coast:
The Fremantle/Adelaide (FRE/ADL) trade has remained unchanged since April, with no vessel adjustments or service updates. Despite ongoing volatility on the Australian East Coast (AUEC), carriers have opted to roll over current rates through July. Rates vary from USD800 - 1350 per TEU for the remainder of July.
Advertised GRIs:
ANL: USD350.00 per TEU Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) for all shipments effective 1st August 2025, ex North & South East Asia to New Zealand.
ANL: USD300.00 per TEU for all cargo ex Northeast Asia to Australia & NZ. Effective from 15th July.
MSC: USD300.00 per TEU Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) for all cargo ex China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Philippines and Indonesia to Australia and New Zealand. Applicable from the 15th July.
MSC: USD500.00 per TEU for all cargo ex China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan to Australia and New Zealand. Applicable from the 15th July.
Rates out of Southeast Asia vary based on location.
Advertised GRIs:
ANL: USD300.00 per TEU for all cargo ex South East Asia, Middle East Gulf, and Indian Subcontinent to Australia. Effective from 15th July.
Blank sailings continue to create space constraints across Asia.
Service: CA2
Carriers: YML / TSL / SNL / EMC / HPL / PIL
Area Affected:
Week of Blank Sailing: Early July (Week 27)
Capacity: 4,200 TEU
Service: CAT
Carriers: PIL / YML / Sealead / TSLArea Affected:
Week of Blank Sailing: Early July (Week 27)
Capacity: 5,000 TEU
Service: A3S
Carriers: COSCO / OOCL / ANL
Area Affected:
Week of Blank Sailing: Mid-July (Week 28)
Capacity: 5,500 TEU
Service: WALLABY
Carrier: MSC
Area Affected:
Week of Blank Sailing: Late July (Week 30)
Capacity: Not specified
We are seeing the impact of capacity management with several carriers reporting rolled bookings and congestion.
We are seeing several vessels adjust their port rotations due to severe weather conditions. All of the below vessels are calling Melbourne prior to Sydney to avoid congestion and maintain schedule reliability:
Singapore:
Singapore remains highly congested, with an average vessel wait time of up to 2 days. There is a current roll pool for containers of up to 2 weeks in some cases.
Ningbo:
The average vessel wait time is approximately 2 days. We are seeing port congestion, roll pools and limited space availability due to blank sailings.
Shanghai:
Wait times of up to 3 days to be expected due to port congestion and fog. Vessel arrivals and departures are impacted, pushing out overall transit times.
Qingdao:
Weather related issues have caused congestion, with vessel wait times of up to 2 days.
Port Klang/Penang:
Congestion persists amid high demand. Both Cosco and PIL are at capacity until the end of the month. Vessel wait times of approximately 3 days is to be expected.
India – Disruptions Due to Statewide Transport Strike
At Nhava Sheva (Jawaharlal Nehru Port), cargo movement has been disrupted by a statewide truck driver strike in Maharashtra, which began on 2 July. The industrial action is affecting pickup and delivery operations across the region. Logistics providers like Kuehne+Nagel are working to reroute and minimise delays, but ongoing disruptions are expected if the strike continues.
Bangladesh – Congestion and Delays Across Key Facilities
Bangladesh’s supply chain has been strained following a brief but impactful customs officer strike, initially announced by the National Board of Revenue Reform and Unity Council. Although operations have resumed, the temporary halt has left a backlog at CFSs and Chittagong Port.
Sri Lanka – Transhipment Delays and Weather Impacts
At Colombo Port, vessel bunching is affecting schedule reliability. Ships arriving on time (“on-window”) are typically berthed within 24 hours, but off-window vessels may wait up to 3 days. Inter-terminal transfers are suffering, with transhipment cargo - especially from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and South India - experiencing prolonged delays. The impact of June’s adverse weather is still lingering in the system.
Spot (floating) freight rates to the U.S. West Coast continue to slide, now meeting or even dipping below fixed contract levels. The complete removal of the Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) for West Coast shipments starting July 1 reflects the easing of demand pressure. On the East Coast and Gulf routes, floating rates are still holding above contract rates, though the PSS has been scaled back.
Spot rates continue to ease on Trans-Pacific routes.
Drewry forecasts further declines next week, driven by soft demand and excess capacity on US-bound services. Source: Drewry
👉 Read the full update in our Dedicated Tariffs Blog.
Movement was mixed across Asia–Europe tradelanes.
These fluctuations reflect ongoing imbalances between capacity deployment and regional demand trends. Source: Drewry
Despite an overall soft rate environment this year, FEWB carriers are holding firm on July's General Rate Increases (GRIs). Average rates for 40ft containers remain elevated, with no notable drop in the first half of the month. Strong vessel utilization - often booked out 2–3 weeks in advance - is allowing carriers to maintain these levels. So while demand isn’t weak, it’s the surplus of capacity that’s been keeping overall rate growth in check.
July has seen a notable capacity injection, with average weekly space up 11% from June, hitting approximately 293,700 TEUs. However, deployments have varied week to week - some weeks spiking above 320,000 TEUs and others dipping to as low as 220,000 TEUs. These swings suggest carriers are trying to shape demand timing, especially in preparation for the peak shipping push in late July and August.
Antwerp & Rotterdam (Belgium/Netherlands):
Terminals are under pressure from high yard density, strikes, staff shortages, and ongoing construction. Barge delays at some terminals exceed 96 hours, and summer holidays may stretch labour availability for up to 10 weeks.
Hamburg & Bremerhaven (Germany):
Yard space is maxed out. Bremerhaven is seeing berth waiting times of nearly 3 days, while Hamburg terminals (CTA, CTB, CTT) are grappling with delayed vessels, tight yard space, and gate-in restrictions.
Algeciras (Spain):
High yard density and full berthing lineups persist. Some vessels face a 2-day wait.
Genoa (Italy):
Congestion remains an issue, with an 84% yard fill rate and continued labour shortages.
Valencia (Spain):
Backlogs have cleared, but July construction at APMT will impact gate and rail operations.
The inconsistent weekly capacity has created friction in the network, leading to higher rollover incidents and pockets of equipment shortages at origin. Demand remains on a typical seasonal upswing, especially with European retailers stocking early for the holidays. Since March, Asia-to-Europe export volumes have consistently outpaced 2023 levels, supporting a strong market backdrop even amid operational volatility.
European importers are grappling with significant backlogs as rail delays intensify existing congestion at major German ports. Disruptions in both port and rail infrastructure have led to fully utilized berthing line-ups and overcrowded yards, causing substantial delays in cargo movement. This situation is exacerbating the already pressing challenges in the supply chain, making it increasingly difficult for importers to receive goods in a timely manner. Source: The Loadstar
Germany:
Severe rail delays due to infrastructure issues, bushfires near Hamburg, storm damage, and construction closures (notably to Hamburg Waltershof from 4–8 July). Metrans reports delays up to 3 weeks in bookings, partial train handling, and some cancelled services.
Slovenia & Croatia:
Derailments and track failures are disrupting Metrans services to/from the Adriatic and Central Europe. Croatia’s Andrijevci station incident has hit rail flows to/from Rijeka.
Rhine River:
Low water levels from hot, dry weather are restricting barge capacity inland via Rotterdam and Antwerp.
Hamburg (Germany):
Bremerhaven (Germany):
A switch failure near Bremen has led to a train bottleneck - only one train per hour permitted.
Rotterdam (Netherlands):
ECT, RWG, Delta II: Barge delays range from 36 to 96 hours. Labour shortages and IT issues are limiting throughput.
London Gateway (UK):
Power outages and late arrivals are creating berth congestion, although yard usage remains moderate.
Algeciras (Spain):
The port is prioritising heavy export vessels to ease congestion.
Valencia (Spain):
Normal operations have resumed, aside from the APMT works.
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On July 6, 2025, Israel conducted airstrikes on Houthi-controlled ports and infrastructure in Yemen, marking its first such action in nearly a month. The targeted locations included the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa, and Salif, as well as the Ras Qantib power plant. These strikes were in response to repeated Houthi attacks against Israel, including a recent assault on the Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Magic Seas in the Red Sea. The vessel was attacked by rocket-propelled grenades and bomb-laden drone boats, forcing the crew to abandon ship after it caught fire and took on water. Israel also targeted the Galaxy Leader ship at Ras Isa port, which had been seized by the Houthis in late 2023 and reportedly modified with a radar system to monitor maritime activity.
In retaliation, the Houthis launched a missile toward Israel, which reportedly caused no injuries. This escalation follows an earlier incident the same day in which a vessel near Hodeidah came under attack and began taking on water, forcing the crew to abandon ship. While no group claimed responsibility for that attack, security firm Ambrey noted the vessel matched the pattern of typical Houthi targets. Source: GCaptain
Sea robbery incidents in the Singapore Strait have surged dramatically in 2025, with 81 reported cases so far—four times higher than the same period last year. This uptick marks a troubling escalation in maritime security concerns along one of the world's busiest shipping routes.
Historic flooding in Kerrville, Texas, has resulted in multiple fatalities and significant damage. The severe weather has overwhelmed emergency services, leading to ongoing search and rescue operations. Authorities are urging residents to stay alert and follow safety advisories as the situation develops. Source: NBC News
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