The SCFIS index to North Europe dropped for the 4th consecutive week, shedding 2.7% on 11 August to 2,235 points with further weakness expected through October, with EC2508 and EC2510 trading at a 7% and 37% discount. Average EC trading volumes dropped to 50,000 contracts last week but open interest rose 9% on the week to above 80,523. The EC2510 contract is now the most hotly traded, with 56,688 open positions—the third‑highest on record, behind only EC2404 and EC2406 positions in December 2023
Another wave of bottom fishers entered the market, this time focusing on EC2510, which has now become one of the most hotly contested freight futures contracts, closing with open interest at 56,602 contracts—the third highest after EC2404 and EC2406. Nevertheless, EC2510 gave back most of its earlier gains by the market close, though it still ended the day up 1.34%. The Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) reported a 4.4% weekly decline to 1,961, which translates to around $3,250 per FEU
Despite a decline in prices for most freight futures contracts listed in Shanghai, the market remained resilient, as today’s drop occurred on much lighter volume than yesterday. Both EC2510 and EC2512 closed near the day’s highs. Traders continue to show strong conviction that spot freight rates will not fall below $2,100 per FEU through June 2026, with a seasonal uptick expected in December potentially testing the $2,900 per FEU level. In the physical market, the liners are mostly offering $28
Contrarian traders entered the market this morning, driving up the prices of all futures contracts except for the EC2508. Although most contracts surrendered the majority of their gains by the close, all long-dated contracts still finished higher on the day. Furthermore, open interest rebounded to 78,000 from 74,000 yesterday. The EC2510 alone has an open interest of 54,361 contracts, representing approximately $500 million in value. This indicates that there is no shortage of bullish sentiment
EC2510, the benchmark contract for Far East–North Europe freight futures listed in Shanghai, is currently the most hotly contested in the market. Bulls argue the contract is undervalued based on technical analysis—price charts suggest a bottom is forming around 1,450—while bears point to fundamental signals from the physical market, noting freight rates peaked during the last two weeks of July. On Wednesday (July 30), EC2510 opened higher on strong volume as bulls speculated that a typhoon appr
EC2510 closed at the day’s low of 1460, which is close to last week’s lowest point—a level some traders view as a technical bottom. However, this support will likely be tested tomorrow after Maersk released a quotation of $2,800 per FEU for shipments departing in the second week of August, following the market close. Hapag Lloyd had already lowered its quotation to $2,835 per FEU for shipments departing in the first week of August. Only 51,000 contracts were traded today, while open interest dro
The freight futures market in China continued its volatile trajectory, driven by a broadly bearish consensus that has kept the forward curve in backwardation. However, intermittent speculative bets—fueled by hopes of further freight rate increases in August and expectations of a relatively mild slack season—have pushed futures prices higher at times. Following a couple of days of declines on Tuesday (22 July) and Wednesday (23 July), which were triggered by Maersk’s significantly low spot rate
The freight futures for the Far East to North Europe route rebounded slightly today, as traders continue to debate the extent of correction the physical market may experience in the coming months. Uncertainty remains regarding the potential peak of spot freight rates. Maersk has issued a notice announcing an increase in its peak season surcharge (PSS) from $100 per FEU to $500 per FEU effective 1 August. With this adjustment, Maersk's FAK rate will rise to approximately $3,500 per FEU from 1 Au
The European Contracts retreated after Hapag Lloyd published a quotation of $2,935 per FEU for shipments departing on July 29, which was announced after the market closed yesterday. EC2510 staged an intraday rebound in the afternoon, as some traders are still betting on a possible surprise in October, traditionally a seasonal trough. However, the counter still closed near the day's low. Trading sentiment continued to decline after reaching its peak at the market open yesterday. From our channel
EC staged a surprise rally yesterday (15 July), with EC contracts surging 5–16%. This move allowed them to catch up with the strength seen in the spot market, where liners have been increasing freight rates, albeit at a slower pace than initially planned. Both EC2510 and EC2512 contracts reached their daily upper trading limit yesterday, although they retraced some of their gains today (16 July). The rally was primarily driven by a wave of fresh buying interest. Open interest rose sharply to 86