# Container Rates Soar: Over 70 Percent More Expensive from the Far East to Northern Europe **Category:** Industry News | **Source:** Frachtportal Redaktion | **Published:** 2026-06-19 **Tags:** Containerraten 2026, Fernost Europa, Seefracht Asien Europa, Xeneta, Containerpreise, Schiffe ausgebucht, Seefracht Kapazität, Logistik News, Transport News, Fracht News, Speditions News, Supply Chain News, Zoll News, Frachtportal News, Seefracht, Digitalisierung > The spot rate from the Far East to Northern Europe has risen to $3,854 per 40-foot container. According to Xeneta, many ships are fully booked until July. --- Anyone currently looking to ship containers from the Far East to Europe will have to dig deeper into their pockets. According to Xeneta, the average spot rate from the Far East to Northern Europe was $3,854 per FEU on June 15. One FEU corresponds to a 40-foot container. Since the end of February, rates have increased by around 74 percent. This is no small fluctuation, but a significant price increase within a few months. The bigger problem, however, is not just the price. According to Xeneta, shipping companies are already reporting full ships on various services through July. Even larger shippers with existing annual contracts are sometimes unable to load their containers onto the ship as planned. In practice, this means: Containers are being postponed to later departures, bookings are being denied, or only accepted at significantly higher spot rates. The offered capacity on the route to Northern Europe has only slightly increased compared to the pre-crisis period. The additional ship capacities are thus insufficient to meet current demand and schedule disruptions. An important reason remains the uncertain situation in the Middle East. Longer routes, delays, and missing ships disrupt schedules. Additionally, shippers are proactively ordering early and prioritizing goods. This creates additional pressure on the available slots. For us freight forwarders, this is a familiar picture: When space is tight, it is not just about the price. What matters is whether the booking is confirmed at all and whether the container actually travels. --- Those who need to bring goods from China or other parts of the Far East to Europe should book earlier than usual. A low price is of little use if no space is confirmed. Therefore, carefully check the booking confirmation, departure date, and potential rollovers. Even with existing annual contracts, one should not assume that every container will automatically be shipped. In case of urgent goods, a higher spot price may be necessary. In short: Sea freight is becoming more expensive and unpredictable again. Book early, communicate realistic transit times, and have a Plan B ready. --- The average spot rate from the Far East to Northern Europe was 3,854 USD per FEU on June 15, 2026. An FEU corresponds to a 40-foot container. Since the end of February 2026, the rate on this route has increased by around 74 percent. According to Xeneta, various services were fully booked until July. Even shippers with long-term contracts were partly unable to secure space. Containers were shifted to later ships or rolled. The offered capacity to Northern Europe was only about two percent above the pre-crisis level. Within a week, capacity was increased by approximately 9.2 percent. According to Xeneta, this additional capacity came too late for many shippers. Spot rates are market values and may vary depending on the route, port, and surcharges. --- *Canonical URL: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/news/containerraten-explodieren-fernost-nach-nordeuropa-gt70-prozent-teurer-20260619072147](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/news/containerraten-explodieren-fernost-nach-nordeuropa-gt70-prozent-teurer-20260619072147)* *Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/news/en/containerraten-explodieren-fernost-nach-nordeuropa-gt70-prozent-teurer-20260619072147](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/news/en/containerraten-explodieren-fernost-nach-nordeuropa-gt70-prozent-teurer-20260619072147)*