Freight rates and maritime transport costs
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- Category: Mercados - Fletes- Cotizaciones
- Published on Friday, 30 January 2026 08:03
- Written by Administrator2
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https://unctad.org/system/files/official
-document/rmt2025ch3_en.pdf
unctad
rmt2025ch3_en.pdf
Freight rate volatility is becoming the new normal across all shipping segments, driven by continued geopolitical tensions, shifting trade policy, regulatory developments, and persistent supply and demand imbalances.
Considering trends discussed in chapters I and II, this chapter analyses freight rate developments in the container, dry bulk and tanker shipping segments from January 2024 to mid-2025. In 2024, disruptions in the Red Sea significantly affected container shipping. Rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope extended voyage times, reduced effective capacity and increased operating costs, driving spot and charter rates to near COVID-19 peaks by mid-2024 before moderating by the end of the year. Volatility continued into 2025 amid tariff announcements by the United States of America and mounting geopolitical risks, including around the Strait of Hormuz.
Dry bulk markets recorded strong performance in 2024, supported by robust demand for coal, grain and fertilizers. Rates eased in early 2025, however, due to subdued industrial activity and fleet growth. Tanker markets remained highly sensitive to geopolitical developments, with rates surging in June 2025 amid intensifying risks in the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, environmental compliance costs continue to fundamentally reshape maritime transport economics. Emissions pricing, decarbonization targets and related regulations will directly influence transport costs for all segments. The tariff measures announced in 2025 may have implications for maritime transport and trade costs.
UNCTAD has initiated analytical work to assess potential effects on global trade and seaborne transport.