Transpacific demand drives increase in airfreight rates
01 / 06 / 2018
Demand growth on the transpacific trade lane helped boost airfreight rates to their highest level of the year so far in April.
The latest figures from Drewry’s Sea and Air Shipper Insight report show that average all-in buy rates paid by forwarders to airlines on 28 east-west routes increased by 10.8% year on year in April to $2.87 per kg.
Prices are also up on March levels when forwarders paid $2.73 per kg, which Drewry said was down to growth on the transpacific.
“Higher eastbound Transpacific rates drove Drewry’s East-West Airfreight Price Index upwards by 5% in April to reach $2.87 per kg. Drewry expects that the airfreight rates are unlikely to see much movement in May.”
However, rates have historically picked up in April compared with March in line with a slight pick up in demand.
Prices then tend to stay fairly flat during the summer before picking up again in September ahead of the peak season.
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