Container Bytes
Container Bytes is your go-to podcast for quick insights on the latest global freight trends, condensed into easy-to-digest, under-ten-minute episodes. Each week, you’ll get key data points, actionable market movements, and forecasts to help you navigate the ups and downs of ocean and air freight. Tune in, stay sharp, and ship smarter. Brought to you by Freightos, the global freight booking platform.
Container Bytes
Episode #14: Pasta Wars, Rate Spikes & The Lunar New Year Rush
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Welcome to 2026! We are already 3% of the way through the year, so if you haven't hit your KPIs yet, you're officially behind. JK, kinda.
Ocean freight is starting the year with a hangover and a double shot of espresso. Rates are climbing fast, with Asia-Med is up 20% to $4,800 and Transpacific rates jumped 22% just to kick off January. It’s the classic pre-Lunar New Year rush, fueled by the Red Sea crisis that just refuses to quit. It’s basically chaos, but organized chaos.
And in the weirdest news of the week, we narrowly avoided a geopolitical crisis over... lasagna. The US quietly walked back a threatened 92% tariff on Italian pasta. You can put down the pitchforks; the spaghetti is safe.
If you don't rate us 5 stars, I will personally ensure your next BOL features a typo that delays your cargo by three weeks.
Chapters:
00:00:00 - The 3% Rule (Panic Early)
00:00:11 - Ocean Rates: Up, Up, and Away
00:01:29 - Transpacific Trends: The $2,600 Question
00:02:18 - Air Freight: The Post-Peak Hangover
00:04:50 - The Great Pasta De-Escalation
00:06:15 - The Supreme Court Wild Card
This podcast is a little experiment from Freightos—and may not be around forever—so if you dig quick bites of freight wisdom, let us know.
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