Freight Pulse & Law Update: Asia–US Container Rates Pass $11,000, Canada Import Ban Hits September 29, and Cabotage Enforcement Tightens

Asia–US East Coast spot rates have climbed above $11,000 per FEU, approaching pandemic-era records as fuel costs rise and carriers remove capacity before China’s Golden Week. At the same time, a September 29 Canada import restriction, tougher cabotage screening, and a proposed CBP disclosure regime require shippers to audit landed costs, classifications, documentation, and carrier eligibility now.

Why are Asia–US container rates rising?

FreightWaves reports East Coast rates reached $11,259 per FEU on September 17, while The Loadstar cites resilient demand, weather disruption, and 78 blank sailings ahead of Golden Week.

• Bunker costs are rising amid the Iran conflict.

• Capacity is tightening despite added vessel space.

• Analysts warn rates could test pandemic records.

Importers should lock contract capacity, review surcharge exposure, and reprice landed-cost assumptions before peak-season rebooking.

What changes for Canada imports and cross-border trucking?

The Federal Register proclamation establishes a 50% additional duty on certain Canadian products and excludes specified goods from entry beginning September 29.

• Recheck HTS classifications and country-of-origin records.

• Confirm whether affected SKUs are already in transit.

• Verify carrier and driver eligibility on U.S.–Mexico lanes.

According to Benesch, FMCSA inspection data is now being shared with CBP to identify cabotage violations. Keep point-to-point documentation clean. Treat CVSA Brake Safety Week, August 23–29, 2026, as a year-round brake-maintenance standard.

What should importers know about CBP’s ANPRM?

The CBP heightened import disclosures ANPRM is not enforceable yet. Comments are due December 1, 2026 and may shape future foreign-export-document, supplier-identity, and supply-chain-visibility requirements.

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Informational only, not legal advice. Verify requirements with qualified customs and transportation counsel. Sources: FreightWaves and The Loadstar.