Global Maritime Focus

Special Report

‘ Calm ’ trans-Atlantic shrugs off market disruption

By Greg Knowler

The demand picture shows US imports from from North Europe and the Mediterranean through the US East Coast rising year over year through September , according to the latest data available from PIERS , a sister product of the Journal of Commerce within S & P Global .

But the subsequent rate decline through October and into November suggests a slowdown in volume in the fourth quarter . The latest data from Container Trades Statistics shows US import volume from Europe at 435,540 TEUs in September , up just 1 % from August .

The trans-Atlantic ocean trade has returned to the “ calm waters ” mode that typically characterizes the westbound trade lane , with rates trending down into November and US import volume flattening out into the fourth quarter .

There is no sign of any rush to frontload ahead of potential tariff increases on European imports by the new US administration or to get cargo moving before a possible second strike by the International Longshoremen ’ s Association ( ILA ) when its extended contract expires on Jan . 15 .

“ The trans-Atlantic is back in calm waters ... for the moment we see a rather stable scenario .”

“ The trans-Atlantic is back in calm waters ... for the moment we see a rather stable scenario ,” Markus Panhauser , CEO for Germany and Switzerland at DHL Global Forwarding , told the Journal of Commerce in early November . Still , “ you never know which disruption comes next .”

Average spot rates on the eastbound trans-Atlantic began to spike in early August , reaching a 2024 peak of $ 2,700 per FEU on Oct . 11 , but pricing has declined since then , according to data from Platts , a sister product of the Journal of Commerce within S & P Global .

In the week of Nov . 8 , Platts pegged average rates from North Europe to the US East Coast at $ 2,300 per FEU , down 5 % from the previous week . Mediterranean – US East Coast rates of $ 3,305 per FEU in the same week were virtually flat since the end of September , according to rate benchmarking platform Xeneta .

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