The SHAQ Freight Index stands at $5,542 per container for Week 32 of 2026, increased 13.5% week-over-week. The index tracks 12,079 active COSCO Shipping rates across 228 origin ports and 271 destinations. China-to-Oceania routes saw the largest gains (up to +267%), while Caribbean routes declined 15%. For comparison, the Freightos Baltic Index (FBX) composite stands at $3,665, down 4.88%.
The SHAQ Composite Index is the volume-weighted average of all active COSCO Shipping container rates. It focuses on emerging market routes (South America, Oceania, Southeast Asia) that are underrepresented in traditional indices.
| Index | Route | Value | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHAQ | COSCO Global Composite | $5,542 | ▲ 13.5% | SHAQ Logistics |
| SCFI | Composite | $1,542 | ▼ 2.1% | Shanghai Shipping Exchange |
| FBX | China/East Asia to North Europe | $2,485 | ▼ 1.8% | Freightos Baltic Exchange |
| FBX | China/East Asia to North America West Coast | $3,892 | ▲ 3.2% | Freightos Baltic Exchange |
| FBX | China/East Asia to North America East Coast | $5,128 | ▲ 2.7% | Freightos Baltic Exchange |
| WCI | Global Average | $2,187 | ▼ 1.5% | Drewry Maritime Research |
| CACI | China | 0.52 | ▲ 5.1% | Container xChange |
| Route | Container | Previous | Current | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 蛇口/香港 → Brisbane/Melbourne /Sydney | 20GP | $750 | $2,758 | +267.7% |
| 蛇口/香港 → Brisbane/Melbourne /Sydney | 40GP | $1,500 | $5,516 | +267.7% |
| 蛇口/香港 → Brisbane/Melbourne /Sydney | 40HQ | $1,500 | $5,516 | +267.7% |
| 盐田南沙 → Brisbane | 20GP | $750 | $2,283 | +204.4% |
| 盐田南沙 → Brisbane | 40GP | $1,500 | $4,566 | +204.4% |
| 盐田南沙 → Brisbane | 40HQ | $1,500 | $4,566 | +204.4% |
| 蛇口/香港/南沙/盐田 → BELL BAY | 40GP | $2,700 | $6,916 | +156.1% |
| 蛇口/香港/南沙/盐田 → BELL BAY | 40HQ | $2,700 | $6,916 | +156.1% |
| 蛇口/香港/南沙/盐田 → BELL BAY | 20GP | $1,400 | $3,458 | +147.0% |
| 盐田/蛇口/香港 → Auckland/Lyttelton/Napier/Tauranga | 20GP | $950 | $2,225 | +134.2% |
China-to-Australia and China-to-New Zealand routes saw dramatic increases this week, driven by COSCO General Rate Increase (GRI) effective August 1, 2026. The 267% surge on Shekou/Hong Kong to Brisbane/Melbourne/Sydney reflects tight capacity on Trans-Tasman services and peak season demand from Australian importers restocking after fiscal year-end.
| Route | Container | Previous | Current | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUSAN → Colon Free Zone, PA Door | 40GP | $7,400 | $6,100 | -17.6% |
| DALIAN → Colon Free Zone, PA Door | 40GP | $7,400 | $6,100 | -17.6% |
| HONG KONG → Colon Free Zone, PA Door | 40GP | $7,400 | $6,100 | -17.6% |
| KAOHSIUNG → Colon Free Zone, PA Door | 40GP | $7,400 | $6,100 | -17.6% |
| NINGBO → Colon Free Zone, PA Door | 40GP | $7,400 | $6,100 | -17.6% |
| QINGDAO → Colon Free Zone, PA Door | 40GP | $7,400 | $6,100 | -17.6% |
| SHANGHAI → Colon Free Zone, PA Door | 40GP | $7,400 | $6,100 | -17.6% |
| SHEKOU → Colon Free Zone, PA Door | 40GP | $7,400 | $6,100 | -17.6% |
| XIAMEN → Colon Free Zone, PA Door | 40GP | $7,400 | $6,100 | -17.6% |
| XINGANG → Colon Free Zone, PA Door | 40GP | $7,400 | $6,100 | -17.6% |
Caribbean routes (Georgetown, Paramaribo) saw consistent 15-16% declines across all Asian origins, reflecting seasonal demand softening and increased carrier competition on these niche lanes.
| Region | Active Rates | Min Rate | Max Rate | Avg Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panama | 96 | $5,800 | $6,550 | $6,155 |
| South America | 2500 | $2,000 | $9,150 | $5,710 |
| Mexico | 816 | $2,000 | $7,650 | $5,240 |
| Oceania | 12 | $1,375 | $5,612 | $3,440 |
| Southeast Asia | 6 | $450 | $550 | $500 |
South America remains the largest coverage region. Panama commands the highest average due to Colon Free Zone transshipment demand. Southeast Asia routes are the most affordable, serving intra-Asia short-sea trade.
| Container Type | Active Rates | Min Rate | Max Rate | Avg Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40GP (40ft General Purpose) | 4042 | $400 | $9,100 | $5,790 |
| 40HQ (40ft High Cube) | 2592 | $400 | $9,100 | $5,667 |
| 20GP (20ft General Purpose) | 4042 | $200 | $9,150 | $5,566 |
| 40RQ (40ft Reefer) | 582 | $400 | $8,000 | $3,942 |
| 40RH (40ft Reefer Hardtop) | 24 | $1,400 | $6,400 | $3,931 |
| 20RF (20ft Reefer) | 185 | $350 | $6,800 | $3,122 |
40GP containers command the highest average rate, followed by 40HQ and 20GP. Reefer containers trade at a discount on these routes due to lower demand for refrigerated cargo to emerging markets.
COSCO Shipping implemented a General Rate Increase (GRI) on August 1, 2026, affecting all China-origin services to Australia and New Zealand. The increase ranges from $1,200 to $4,000 per container. Key drivers include:
Routes to Georgetown (Guyana) and Paramaribo (Suriname) declined 15-16% across all Asian origins. This reflects:
The Freightos Baltic Index (FBX) composite declined 4.88% to $3,665, with the China-to-North-America West Coast lane dropping 12.09% to $6,212. This suggests that while major trunk routes are softening, emerging market routes (particularly Oceania) are seeing counter-cyclical strength. The SCFI also declined 2.1% to 1,542.3, confirming the broader trend of rate normalization on major lanes.
| Port | Destinations | Active Rates | Min Rate | Max Rate | Avg Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YOKOHAMA | 37 | 188 | $4,450 | $9,100 | $6,002 |
| XINGANG | 37 | 188 | $4,330 | $8,900 | $5,802 |
| XIAMEN | 37 | 188 | $4,330 | $8,900 | $5,802 |
| ULSAN | 37 | 188 | $4,430 | $9,100 | $5,981 |
| TOKYO | 37 | 188 | $4,450 | $9,150 | $6,020 |
| SHEKOU | 37 | 188 | $4,330 | $8,900 | $5,802 |
| SHANGHAI | 37 | 188 | $4,330 | $8,900 | $5,802 |
| QINGDAO | 37 | 188 | $4,330 | $8,900 | $5,802 |
| OSAKA | 37 | 188 | $4,450 | $9,150 | $6,020 |
| NINGBO | 37 | 188 | $4,330 | $8,900 | $5,802 |
The SHAQ Freight Index is a weekly composite of 12,079 active COSCO Shipping container freight rates, covering 228 origin ports and 271 destination ports globally. The current composite index stands at $5,542 per container.
The SHAQ Freight Index ($5,542) covers COSCO rates to South America, Oceania, and Southeast Asia, while the FBX Composite ($3,665) and SCFI (1,542.3) focus on China to North America and Europe lanes. SHAQ provides visibility into emerging market routes not covered by traditional indices.
China to Australia routes surged the most: Shekou/Hong Kong to Brisbane/Melbourne/Sydney rose 267.7% to $5,516 per 40GP container. Yantian/Nansha to Brisbane increased 204.4%, and China to Bell Bay (Tasmania) rose 156.1%.
Caribbean routes saw modest declines of 15-16%: Busan to Georgetown fell from $10,300 to $8,700 per 40GP, and Busan to Paramaribo dropped from $10,100 to $8,500, reflecting seasonal capacity adjustments.
The SHAQ Freight Index is based on real COSCO Shipping freight rates parsed from official carrier communications. External benchmarks include the Freightos Baltic Index (FBX), Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI), Drewry World Container Index (WCI), and Container xChange Availability Index (CACI).
The SHAQ Freight Index is updated weekly with the latest COSCO Shipping rate data. The current report covers Week 32 of 2026, published on August 07, 2026.
Yes. All rates shown in the SHAQ Freight Index are live COSCO Shipping rates available for booking through SHAQ Logistics. Visit our search platform to get instant quotes for specific routes.
The SHAQ Freight Index is calculated as the simple average of all active COSCO Shipping container freight rates (20GP, 40GP, 40HQ, and Reefer types) that have not passed their expiry date. Rates are sourced from official COSCO Shipping communications and parsed using automated data extraction. The index excludes garbled or incomplete records.
Week-over-week changes are calculated by comparing the most recent rate (created within the past 7 days) against the previous week rate (created 7-14 days ago) for the same origin-destination-container combination. Only routes with both data points available are included in the movers analysis.
External indices (FBX, SCFI, WCI, CACI) are fetched from their respective sources and may have a 1-7 day lag. All currency values are in USD.
All rates in this index are available for instant booking. Search 228 origin ports and 271 destinations.
Search Live Rates →© 2026 SHAQ Logistics. The SHAQ Freight Index is a proprietary product of SHAQ Logistics, based on COSCO Shipping rate data.
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