Expectations for international freight rates by sea are clearly on the rise, with a prevailing positive outlook along the main routes regarding future pricing trends. This is highlighted by the early May 2025 results of the Ocean Freight Sentiment Index, gathered via Ti Insight’s Logistics Trackers. According to the data, 77.8% of respondents foresee an increase in maritime freight rates in the coming days. In particular, the Asia–Northwest Europe route shows a clear majority of bullish expectations, with 75% of operators expecting rate hikes.
A similar picture emerges on the Asia–North America West Coast route, where sentiment has seen a marked reversal compared to the previous week. Some 66.7% of respondents anticipate a rise in freight rates, and the overall index has jumped by more than 21 points, shifting from negative to positive territory. Optimism is even stronger on the Europe–US East Coast route, where 91.7% of operators expect an increase in rates, supported by a sentiment score of 12.1. This strengthening of upward expectations likely reflects a combination of stronger demand, reduced available capacity, or concerns linked to geopolitical and logistical tensions.
The scenario is more mixed for air freight, where the Air Freight Sentiment Index shows more fragmented signals. On the Asia–Northwest Europe route, 66.7% of respondents expect rate increases, with a sentiment score of 16.8. The Asia–North America West Coast route also shows a continued majority of positive forecasts (60%), although the index has dropped significantly to 5.9 compared to the previous week.
The most critical situation is observed on the Asia–North America East Coast route, where 60% of respondents predict a decline in rates and the sentiment has plunged to -15.8, completely reversing the positive outlook recorded the previous week. On a global scale, however, a majority of operators (56.3%) still expect air freight rates to rise, though with less unified confidence compared to the maritime sector.
