A shortage of container capacity has caused rates to jump by 50% on some backhaul trades.
Rates from North Europe to Asia have shot up to $1,029 per 40-foot equivalent unit (feu), from $663 per feu in mid-February, taking them to their highest level in more than two years, according to the Freightos Baltic Index.
The rise is due to the shortage of capacity after liner operators cancelled a record number of sailings in February and March to cope with the impact of the coronavirus on Chinese exports.
