We track shipping line tariffs weekly and publish an outlook every six months. This is what we see for the second half of 2026 across the lanes most relevant to UK private and trade shippers.
Fuel and bunker surcharges
Marine fuel is trading sideways at $590–620/t for VLSFO at Rotterdam. We expect bunker adjustment factors to stay flat through Q3 with a possible 3–5% rise in Q4 if Atlantic refinery turnarounds bite as scheduled.
RoRo capacity
Three new pure car-truck carriers entered service on the Europe → West Africa rotation in Q2, which should soften spot rates by 5–8% from August. East Africa via Mombasa stays tight — only two operators serve the lane and bookings are running 4 weeks ahead.
Container rates
20ft container rates ex-Felixstowe are forecast to fall modestly into Q4 as Asia Pacific demand normalises. Sole-use 40ft to Australia and New Zealand should stay flat — equipment supply rather than demand is the binding constraint there.
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About the author
TheShipCars Editorial Team
Logistics specialists at TheShipCars Worldwide with hands-on experience moving vehicles from UK ports to over 60 destinations across Africa, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, the Americas and Europe.