Container Freight Rates Hit Highest Since September 2024; War Surcharges on Persian Gulf Routes

The Hormuz crisis has sent container freight rates surging. Drewry's World Container Index reached $4,639 per 40-foot container on July 9, 2026, the highest since September 2024. On routes linked to the Persian Gulf, war-risk and emergency surcharges alone can add several thousand dollars to the cost of each container.

According to reports, Asia-to-North-Europe rates have reached about $5,800 and Asia-to-Mediterranean about $7,200 per 40-foot container, roughly $3,000 more than six weeks earlier. Transpacific rates have also risen to about $7,500 (US West Coast) and more than $9,000 (East Coast).