Weekly Briefing • October 26, 2026 • Issue #38
Drewry Hit $4,585 While
Eight Asia–Europe Blanks Loom
Plus: three October 30 deadlines on your desk
Drewry printed a 15-week high on the container index while Asia–Europe blanks jumped to eight. Plan for severe Hormuz routing, check bunker lines against Brent at $116.72, and hit three October 30 filing clocks.
In this issue:
- Use your lane rate, not the $4,585 average
- Refresh your Gulf quotes after Limah
- Check BAF against Brent $116.72 and VLSFO $963
- Comment on China ship fees by October 30
- Recheck Canadian packing HTS before October 30
- Confirm Med transshipment calls before October 30
Use your lane rate, not the $4,585 average
The briefing: Drewry put the World Container Index at $4,585 on October 22 (+2%) and Asia–Europe blanks at eight next week, up from two.
The details:
- Lane rates (October 22): Shanghai–Rotterdam $3,632, Shanghai–New York $10,166, Shanghai–Los Angeles $8,007.
- Transpacific blanks fall to two next week; Drewry expects those rates to hold.
- Asia–Europe is the lane where carriers are pulling sailings to push price.
Why it matters: Budget the lane rate your forwarder confirms for a named sailing, not the $4,585 WCI average. Refresh stale quotes if your ship sails after those eight blanks post.
Refresh your Gulf quotes after Limah
The briefing: JMIC Update 108 (October 25) keeps Hormuz at severe after attackers hit a tanker off Limah, Oman, on October 22.
The details:
- Arabian Gulf threat stays substantial; transits through the strait remain thin.
- 492 ships waited outside Hormuz on October 25.
- Drewry saw only two containerships into the Gulf in Week 42.
Why it matters: War-risk and emergency lines on Gulf bookings may have moved since your last quote. Refresh the quote and have the forwarder restate surcharges on the sailing you book.
Check BAF against Brent $116.72 and VLSFO $963
The briefing: Brent settled at $116.72 on October 23 (+6.2% on the week); Singapore delivered VLSFO assessed at $963/mt the same day.
The details:
- Carriers adjust bunker surcharges on their own notice cycle, not every futures tick.
- VLSFO rose $26 in two days to the October 23 print.
- Hormuz severity still feeds the risk premium in freight quotes.
Why it matters: Line up the carrier's posted BAF with Friday's Brent and the $963 VLSFO assessment before you accept the all-in.
Comment on China ship fees by October 30
The briefing: USTR wants comments by 5:00 p.m. ET October 30 on extending the pause on Section 301 maritime fees for Chinese-owned, -operated, or -built ships.
The details:
- Proposal would suspend fees November 10, 2026 through January 9, 2027 if adopted (FR 2026-21755).
- Today's suspension still ends 11:59 p.m. ET November 9.
- About 178 product exclusions expire on entry after November 9; track that docket separately from ship fees.
Why it matters: Do not mix ship-fee math with exclusion SKUs. Tell finance which clock applies before you reprice a November sailing or entry.
Recheck Canadian packing HTS before October 30
The briefing: On entries from 12:01 a.m. ET October 30, listed Canadian plastic crates and corrugated cartons leave the 50% Section 338 duty; some wooden cases pick it up.
The details:
- Part A removes 3923.10.90 and 4819.10.00 from the 50% line.
- Part B adds 4415.10.30 (wooden packing boxes with solid sides).
- Match the annex heading on the entry, not the White House summary alone.
Why it matters: Corrugated may clear cheaper on October 30 entries while wooden cases may not. Confirm the HTS line with your broker before you change sales pricing.
Confirm Med transshipment calls before October 30
The briefing: Dock unions plan a waterfront action on October 30 at 100+ ports, overlapping an Italian general strike the same day.
The details:
- Watch transshipment hubs: Genoa, Gioia Tauro, Piraeus, Tangier, Marseille, Mersin.
- San Francisco and Oakland locals joined the call; scope and duration vary by port.
- A one-day stop can break a feeder connection, not just a berth.
Why it matters: If your bill of lading transships in the Med between October 29 and November 2, confirm the port call in writing before you promise a delivery date.
Quick Hits
- Section 301 exclusions: plan for expiry on entry after 11:59 p.m. ET November 9 unless USTR extends.
- Die-cut food cartons: Commerce opened AD/CVD October 19; you owe no cash deposit until a preliminary rate (~November 13).
- ACE: use CSMS 70261629 to pair five exclusion lines with July 1 statistical numbers under 9903.88.69.
- Air vs ocean: TAC Shanghai outbound rose 8.4% week to October 19; quote air against Drewry's $8,007 Shanghai–LA before you fly a missed sailing.
Palletizr Tip of the Week
Type your lane rate, then price the cartons
- Ocean: type your lane rate (Rotterdam $3,632, New York $10,166, or LA $8,007), not the $4,585 average.
- Gulf: fill the container before you divide war-risk per carton.
- October 30: run HTS and transshipment checks before midnight Eastern.
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Use your lane rate, not the average. See you next Monday at palletizr.com.