Spot container shipping rates from China to the United States have peaked after surging over 330 percent since late February amid the Strait of Hormuz crisis, according to Xeneta data. The market is stabilizing as alternative logistics routes absorb disrupted regional flows, with approximately 40 percent of bypass shipments utilizing the UAE Port of Fujairah and offshore transfers.
Around 14 million barrels per day of crude and refined products have recently departed the Middle East, according to Vitol CEO Russell Hardy. Speaking in London, Hardy noted that these continuous flows help balance energy markets and prevent prices from escalating to $200 per barrel. He also highlighted surging shipping costs and pointed to China's domestic oil reserves as an essential market buffer earlier in the year.
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