Container Shipping Quarterly

Special Report

Niche trans-Pacific carriers plan to ride out declining spot rates

A Hede representative confirmed that newest service is in operation.

Premium niche services offered by UWL, Hede and Matson appeal to BCOs with specific requirements based upon their customers’ needs. For example, customers of UWL’ s Sun Chief service focus on footwear importers who are based in Southeast Asia and ship through

Seattle, which offers direct inland point intermodal( IPI) rail service to markets such as Minneapolis and Chicago, Wright said.

Massive swing

The niche carriers, which also include SeaLead and CU Lines, entered the

By Bill Mongelluzzo and Laura Robb

Several niche carriers that added tonnage to the trans- Pacific trade over the past year say they aren’ t going anywhere despite retreating spot rates and the downward pressure tariffs are exerting on US imports from Asia.

Those carriers, offering services tailored to their customers’ needs, say they are sheltered somewhat from declining spot rates because they charge a premium for their services that provide expedited ocean transport from Asia and Southeast Asia and, oftentimes, next-day container availability for landside pickup.

“ Pulling the plug is a tough decision because the money, when available, was so lucrative.”

“ We’ re fairly sheltered from the spot rates because 80 % of our cargo is BCO( beneficial cargo owner) contracted cargo,” said Duncan Wright, president of third-party logistics provider UWL, which offers the bi-weekly Sun Chief Express service from Vietnam to Seattle. The ocean transit is 19 days from the last port call at Ho Chi Minh City to the Seattle gateway, while most other lines are 20-plus days, Wright told the Journal of Commerce in late August.

China-based Hede Shipping in July launched its third expedited service from China to Los Angeles, zeroing in on the e-commerce sector with its expedited transit times and quick delivery of containers upon discharge from vessels.

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October 6, 2025 | Journal of Commerce 19 9 / 19 / 25 12:13 PM