Container shipping costs to major economies see on-month rise in March: Data

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Published: 15 Apr. 2026, 14:19

Containers ready to be shipped overseas are seen at the Busan port on April 8. [NEWS1]

Container shipping costs from Korea to major economies, including the United States and the Middle East, rose in March from the previous month, the customs agency said on Wednesday.

The figures include freight rates, commissions and other charges reported by local exporters.

The average shipping charge for a 40-foot container from Korea to the U.S. West Coast rose 24.3 percent from a month earlier to 5.61 million won ($3,800) in March, according to data from the Korea Customs Service.

Such a rise interrupts the declining trend seen since November last year, according to the data.

Average shipping costs to the Middle East sharply jumped by 42.7 percent to 5.25 million won over the same period, while shipping expenses to the European Union rose 5.8 percent to 3.41 million won.

In contrast, shipping costs to China fell by 9.4 percent to 501,000 won, marking the second consecutive month of decline.

Yonhap