Global container rates seen to soften in 2027: Xeneta Outlook

Global container rates should soften in 2027, with average spot rates seen to fall 30% while long-term contract levels could decrease 5% across the full year, according to Xeneta’s Ocean Outlook 2027 released this week.

But there’s a caveat: Don’t discount a new major shock similar to what the industry has seen in the past three years.

“The fundamentals point down. The question is whether something else gets in the way again,” writes Peter Sand, one of the analysts behind the Xeneta Outlook.

He cited how different developments have affected ocean container shipping over the last three years, which all started with data signifying a downward trajectory in rates – 2024, escalation of the Red Sea conflict; 2025, US tariffs; and 2026, the US-Israel attack on Iran that prompted a closure of the Hormuz Strait and a wider Middle East conflict.

This story was originally published by PortCalls Asia. Read the full story at PortCalls Asia →