Suez Canal transits have finally passed 50% of pre-disruption levels and post-Golden Week demand is cooling — yet ocean freight rates are holding firm. Here is how carriers are defending rate levels and what shippers should do before November 1 rate initiatives take effect.

Published: March 12, 2026 Just six weeks ago, we published an analysis of container shipping's biggest structural transformation in a decade. The article outlined what happened in 2025—alliance restructuring, new network configurations, the Suez Canal's gradual reopening—and what to expect in 2026. The conclusion was cautiously optimistic: if networks held stable and disruptions stayed manageable, 2026 could be a year of operational normalization. Then February 28 happened. I