Zencargo Market Update: 16 June 2026

Ocean

Note: China Public holiday from Friday 19 June to Sunday 21 June will affect manufacturing and shipping lead times.

• Demand is increasing week-on-week and currently exceeds available market capacity. Short-term and long-term ocean freight rates are rising, with the SCFI reflecting an upward trend that accelerated sharply from mid-May.
• Freight rates for the second half of June have adjusted upward, inclusive of Emergency Bunker Surcharges (EBS) and ETS.
• Peak Season Surcharges (PSS) for the second half of June have been raised above the levels seen in the first half of the month, with a further upward PSS adjustment announced for July.
• FAK rate levels are projected to increase further heading into July.
• Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF) are scheduled for upward revisions in July.
• Vessel space is full three to six weeks in advance, with FAK contracts fully booked two to three weeks ahead.
• Space allocations under NAC and long-term agreements have been reduced as carriers focus on alternative cargo tiers, making a four-week pre-booking lead time necessary to secure space.
• Equipment Interchange Receipt (EIR) issues are rising, resulting in withheld equipment releases and late booking cancellations.

Air

Central China (SHA/NGB)

• SHA: Air export rates are being quoted strictly on a case-by-case basis. Shippers are advised to check rates individually.
• NGB: Air freight rates are holding steady, remaining completely unchanged compared to last week. All bookings and rates must be verified with the team on a case-by-case basis.

North China (DLC/TSN/TAO/PEK)

• TSN: The market is tight, though rate levels are holding stable this week. Securing space requires booking four to five days in advance, and all shipments must be checked case by case using exact cargo details.
• DLC/PEK: Space is tight, but rate levels remain stable across the majority of airlines this week. While dense cargo can apply for spot rates, volume cargo requires six to seven days of advance notice along with the acceptance of flight splits.
• TAO: The market to Europe is stable this week, with space reported as not overly tight. Airlines are still releasing spot rates for both dense and volume cargo, with estimated departure times averaging around three days.

South China (CAN/SZX/XMN)

• CAN: Market space is tight. Shippers must check for spot rates on a case-by-case basis, with final pricing dependent on actual flight dates.
• SZX: Market operations continue to run normally. Deferred services to main European airports are expected to remain the same this week, and all spot rates must be verified with carriers case by case.
• XMN: Shippers are requested to check pricing case by case, as the team works to secure optimised rate options based on specific cargo details.

Ocean

Note: China Public holiday from Friday 19 June to Sunday 21 June will affect manufacturing and shipping lead times.

• Demand is increasing, prompting capacity additions to counter rolled cargo.
• The FAK market is set for further large, broad-based increases in the second half of June, mirroring the significant rate hikes already implemented during the first half of the month.
• The Emergency Fuel Surcharge (EFS) remains in effect, with a review for July expected at the end of June.
• Major carriers have established highly elevated rate baselines across West Coast, East Coast, and inland destinations.
• Peak Season Surcharges (PSS) for NAC contracts were introduced at the start of June, with further upward adjustments already scheduled for July.
• Carriers are also proposing substantial general rate jumps effective from early July.
• Capacity management is being heavily driven by an early Summer Peak Season. Shippers have advanced their cargo movements in anticipation of US tariff changes expected in July.
• Bookings have also been brought forward to ensure urgent cargo departs Asia in time to meet demand for the FIFA 2026 World Cup in the US.
• Blank sailings are increasing, leaving space extremely limited for the remainder of June. Some carriers are rejecting bookings entirely across both West Coast and East Coast services, with certain lines only accepting new bookings for July.
• The Panama Canal is under renewed pressure, with the Neopanamax locks draught allowance reduced. This restriction will add growing pressure to East Coast and Gulf services.
• Effective June 2026, MSC is re-introducing its previously suspended “Pearl” service to connect Asia to the North American West Coast. The loop will operate six vessels with an average capacity of 6,200 TEU on a strict Yantian – Xiamen – Long Beach – Yantian rotation. 
• Shippers are strongly advised to book three to four weeks in advance. Premium services should be considered during this period of uncertainty, although expedited services from China to the US West Coast are currently commanding extreme rate premiums.

Air

Central China (SHA/NGB)

• SHA: High oil prices and ongoing fuel cost issues remain the primary factors determining overall transportation costs. Recent flight cancellations and subsequent capacity shortages have kept weekly freight rates at an elevated level, with no current signs of reductions from the airlines. On the contrary, rates face further upward pressure, and space for lower-priced options is extremely limited, with availability heavily favouring higher price tiers.
• NGB: Air freight rates to both the US West Coast and East Coast have increased significantly this week due to capacity shortages. Space is tight and rate levels are expected to remain high in the coming weeks, depending entirely on developments in the oil market.

North China (DLC/TSN/TAO/PEK)

• TSN: The market is stable this week. Freighter options provide the earliest departure space and offer comparatively better rates to US West Coast destinations, including LAX, SFO, and SEA. Bookings require six to seven days of advance notice, and space must be checked case by case with cargo details.
• DLC/PEK: The market remains tight, with weekly rates holding stable across most airlines. Spot rates are accessible for dense cargo, but volume shipments require six to seven days of advance booking and the acceptance of flight splits.
• TAO: The market is stable, and space is not very tight to either the US West or East coasts. Rates have ticked up slightly this week, but airlines continue to release spot rates for dense cargo, with all shipments requiring case-by-case verification.

South China (CAN/SZX/XMN)

• CAN: Space is tight across the trade lane. Spot rates are subject to case-by-case checks and must be confirmed based on actual flight dates.
• SZX: Market conditions are normal, with carrier rates to both the US West Coast and East Coast requiring case-by-case confirmation.
• XMN: Due to ongoing capacity cuts and tight space, airlines have confirmed rate increases to both US West Coast base ports and East Coast destinations. The market remains tight with rates holding at a high level, and final pricing is entirely subject to actual carrier flight checks.

Ocean

• ISC FAK rates from India are experiencing large increases for the second half of June.
• Chittagong FAK rates are experiencing similar upward adjustments.
• Changes to vessel rotations on the IPAK service are absorbing cargo from other trades, reducing overall available capacity on the lane.
• Carriers, including CMA CGM, have introduced blank sailings for the second half of June.
• Vessel space is highly constrained for the second half of June.
• Terminal operations in Chittagong remain stable, with minor berthing congestion reported.
• Mundra and Nhava Sheva continue to face high terminal dwell times and heavy yard density, while Colombo is experiencing elevated transhipment volumes and increased vessel activity.
• Deployed capacity on the Asia-ISC trade lane has accelerated by 40.3% year-on-year for the January–August period, driven by Middle Eastern routing disruptions forcing regional cargo to be dropped off in the Indian Subcontinent. The trade lane is scheduled to absorb an additional 1.8 million cumulative TEUs by August 2026.

Ocean

• Freight rates remain highly elevated, although this trade lane remains less volatile than the Transpacific and Asia-Europe routes.
• Recent upward rate pressure has been driven by capacity reductions, emergency fuel surcharges, and peak season surcharges, all of which are expected to persist in the coming weeks.
• A significant new Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) has been announced by CMA CGM, effective from 1 July 2026, for cargo originating from the East Mediterranean.
• Capacity remains tightly constrained across the trade, with vessels consistently sailing full. Space is expected to remain tight through the remainder of June and into early July, though carriers anticipate a quieter market in August due to seasonal holidays.
• Securing space requires mandatory early bookings, as carriers are simultaneously navigating berthing delays, equipment shortages, and inland disruptions.
• Blank sailings impacting the Transatlantic trade currently account for approximately 18% of the global blank sailing schedule, which is considerably less severe than on other major trade lanes.
• Schedule reliability continues to improve, rising by 13.6% compared to the previous month, bringing overall trade reliability to 60%. ICL remains the top performer with 100% reliability, followed by ACL at 78.1%, whilst Maersk, MSC, Hapag-Lloyd, and Evergreen are all operating above 60%.
• European ports remain under sustained pressure. Rotterdam, Hamburg, and Antwerp are operating with elevated yard utilisation, which is slowing cargo handoffs and inland positioning.
• Bremerhaven and Genoa are facing ongoing berth delays and rail-related disruptions that may further affect downstream cargo movements.
• Effective June 2026, the fortnightly Europe-Cuba-Canada service will drop its port call at Halifax. Fleet deployment is being streamlined from three vessels down to two 1,000 TEU vessels on a revised Moa – Bilboa – Rotterdam – Mariel – Moa line-up. 

Benelux

Antwerp

• Q869 Yard Metrics: Yard occupancy is at 80%, with reefers at 65% and empty containers (MTs) at 35%.
• Q913 Yard Metrics: Yard occupancy is at a critical 102%, with reefers at 65% and empty containers (MTs) at 65%.
• The arrivals of the HMM Tacoma (on the afternoon of the 3rd) and the Wilhelmshaven Express (on the 5th at 14:00) are expected to help draw down these critical yard figures.
• Truck turnaround times are averaging between 38 and 45 minutes.
• Inland barge operations are currently running normally.
• Labour Availability: Secure with 33+ gangs available on weekdays and 26 to 30 gangs working over weekends.
• Q869 Maintenance: Crane 23 is undergoing maintenance and is scheduled to return to operation from Friday the 5th at 21:30.
• Feeder and barge line-ups are impacted by the crane maintenance, and feeder vessels will be handled opportunistically between mainliners.

Rotterdam

Rotterdam ECT

• Yard occupancy remains stable at 86%.
• The reefer situation is currently reported as stable.
• Gang availability is under control, but berth productivity is low due to a high number of cranes being out of service.
• Specific vessel berth positioning: Al Safat (BP 43), CC Estelle (BP 57), and Alula Express (BP 75).
• Barge delays are currently tracking between 36 and 48 hours.
• Feeder vessel delays are averaging approximately 48 hours.
• A structural increase in second modality delays of up to 5 days is expected. This is because ECT plans to shift the Ocean Alliance NEU3 service from the Euromax terminal to call at DDE for the next 3 months.

Rotterdam Maasvlakte II

• Yard occupancy stands at 85%.
• The Manila Express arrived on Pro Forma (PF) but departed 17 hours behind schedule.
• A terminal outage occurred from 19:30 to 23:30 on the 3rd.
• Empty container gate closures were implemented for Hapag-Lloyd (HLC) and Maersk (MSK) starting at 19:00 on the 3rd to reduce yard levels ahead of forecasted bad weather. Re-opening is expected during the morning of the 5th.
• Line-up delays caused by bad weather have forced the PL Germany to adjust its rotation, calling at Delta II first before proceeding to APM Maasvlakte II.

Rotterdam Delta II

• Yard occupancy is low at 30%.
• The PL Germany (AL1 service) berthed with a delay.
• The terminal handled the discharge call of the Johannes Maersk (EME service), which is a volume usually processed at RWG.

USA

Ocean

• LA/LB: 2 vessels waiting, with a 6-day dwell on the rail terminals.
• Oakland: 0 vessels waiting (down by 2), with a 5-day rail dwell.
• Seattle and Tacoma: 0 vessels waiting, with a 5-day dwell on rail.
• Vancouver (Canada): 0 vessels waiting (down by 6), with a 6-day dwell on rail.
• NY/NJ: 1 vessel waiting (down by 2), with a 4-day dwell on the rail.
• Savannah: 4 vessels waiting (down by 5), with a 2-day dwell on the rail.

Europe Public Holidays

We anticipate a shortage of availability and the occurrence of delays around the bank holiday periods. Plan ahead and allow extra time for your products to be delivered.

June 2026

• 17 June (Wed): Iceland
• 19 June (Fri): Finland*, Sweden*, Åland (Ahvenanmaa)*
• 20 June (Sat): Finland, Sweden, Åland (Ahvenanmaa)
• 21 June (Sun): Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat)*
• 22 June (Mon): Croatia, Estonia*, Latvia
• 23 June (Tue): Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg, Switzerland*
• 24 June (Wed): Andorra*, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Spain*
• 25 June (Thu): Slovenia
• 28 June (Sun): Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH)*, Ukraine
• 29 June (Mon): Holy See (Vatican City), Italy*, Malta, Switzerland*, Ukraine

July 2026

• 3 July (Fri): Belarus
• 5 July (Sun): Czech Republic, Slovakia
• 6 July (Mon): Czech Republic, Isle of Man, Lithuania
• 11 July (Sat): Belgium*
• 12 July (Sun): UK (United Kingdom)*
• 13 July (Mon): Montenegro, UK (United Kingdom)*
• 14 July (Tue): France, Montenegro
• 15 July (Wed): Türkiye
• 20 July (Mon): North Cyprus
• 21 July (Tue): Belgium
• 25 July (Sat): Spain*, Spain*
• 28 July (Tue): Faroe Islands*, San Marino, Spain*
• 29 July (Wed): Faroe Islands

August 2026

• 1 August (Sat): Andorra*, North Cyprus, Switzerland
• 2 August (Sun): Andorra*, Macedonia
• 3 August (Mon): Andorra*, Guernsey and Alderney*, Iceland*, Ireland (Eire), Macedonia, UK (United Kingdom)*
• 5 August (Wed): Croatia, Spain*
• 14 August (Fri): Holy See (Vatican City), Saint Helena*
• 15 August (Sat): Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany*, Greece, Holy See (Vatican City), Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland*
• 20 August (Thu): Estonia, Hungary
• 21 August (Fri): Hungary
• 24 August (Mon): Ukraine
• 25 August (Tue): North Cyprus
• 27 August (Thu): Moldova
• 29 August (Sat): Slovakia
• 30 August (Sun): North Cyprus, Türkiye
• 31 August (Mon): Gibraltar, Guernsey and Alderney, Isle of Man, Jersey, Moldova, Saint Helena, UK (United Kingdom), UK (United Kingdom)

Traffic bans

16.06.2026

• AT | Austria 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• CH | Switzerland 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• LI | Liechtenstein 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00

17.06.2026

• AT | Austria 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• CH | Switzerland 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• LI | Liechtenstein 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00

18.06.2026

• AT | Austria 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• CH | Switzerland 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• LI | Liechtenstein 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00

19.06.2026

• AT | Austria 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• HR | Croatia 15:00 – 23:00
• GR | Greece 16:00 – 21:00
• CH | Switzerland 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• LI | Liechtenstein 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00

20.06.2026

• AT | Austria 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• AT | Austria 15:00 – 24:00
• HR | Croatia 04:00 – 14:00
• FR | France 22:00 – 24:00
• GR | Greece 08:00 – 16:00
• GR | Greece 08:00 – 22:00
• LU | Luxembourg 21:30 – 24:00
• LU | Luxembourg 23:30 – 24:00
• CH | Switzerland 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• HU | Hungary 22:00 – 24:00
• LI | Liechtenstein 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00