April 2026 International Logistics Freight Rate Analysis: Multiple Factors Drive Up Transportation Costs

According to the latest data released by the Shanghai Shipping Exchange and multiple international logistics consulting agencies, the international logistics market has ushered in a new round of price fluctuations in April 2026. Affected by multiple factors such as shipping lines' capacity control, the escalation of the Middle East conflict, and rising fuel prices, freight rates on North American routes have risen for three consecutive weeks, with some air freight routes increasing by more than 20%.

According to the latest Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI), international container freight rates have risen for three consecutive weeks, showing a clear pattern of "strong North America and weak Europe". Among them, the freight rate on the Shanghai to US West Coast route rose by 8.2%, and the Shanghai to US East Coast route rose by 4.9%, while European routes fell slightly due to weak demand.

This freight rate increase is the result of a combination of factors. Major shipping lines have continued to implement voyage reduction plans to maintain freight rate levels, with maritime capacity falling by 13% month-on-month in April. At the same time, the Middle East conflict has led to a rise in international oil prices, and shipping lines and airlines have generally raised bunker surcharges, further pushing up transportation costs.

Although overall freight rates have risen, there are still significant differences between different routes and transportation modes. North American routes have relatively stable demand and tight space due to the gradual recovery of the US consumer market. In contrast, European routes continue to suffer from sluggish demand due to slowing economic growth, with freight rates remaining at low levels.

In the air freight market, affected by maritime congestion and the closure of Middle East airspace, some maritime cargo has shifted to air freight, leading to tight supply and demand for international air freight space. The air freight unit price on the China to Europe route has exceeded 35 yuan per kilogram, an increase of more than 20% compared to March, and popular routes have even seen a situation where space is hard to find.

Logistics experts warn that the international logistics market will still face great uncertainty in the coming period. If the Middle East conflict escalates further, large-scale rerouting of the Red Sea route may occur again, which will have a severe impact on the global supply chain and push up transportation costs on all routes.

In the following content, we will analyze in detail the freight rate trends and space conditions of major routes, and provide practical response strategies for enterprises to help them effectively control logistics costs and ensure supply chain stability.