Asia-US container rates soar past $11,000, near pandemic records

When ocean rates climb this far, the cost gap against air narrows sharply. Time-sensitive or high-value cargo that stayed on the water purely for price reasons becomes a candidate for Sea & Air or direct air express, which in turn tightens air capacity. Recalculate landed cost per SKU across ocean, Sea & Air and air rather than assuming ocean is cheapest. For peak-season volume, lock in space early and review how much of your flow sits on contract versus spot.