A lane-by-lane look at where rates are heading through the back half of the year — and how to hedge against a peak season that is arriving earlier every year.
Spot rates have drifted down on the major east–west trades since March, but the softness is not evenly spread. Asia–Europe has given back most of its gains, while transatlantic capacity remains tight enough to hold the floor.
Where to fix, where to float
Our recommendation to clients shipping steady volume is to fix 60 to 70 per cent of it on annual contracts and leave the balance on the spot market. That mix has outperformed both extremes in each of the last three years.
Air cargo is the exception. With bellyhold capacity back to pre-2020 levels, short-term rates are the cheaper instrument on all but the most predictable lanes.
