Container freight has again become large enough to alter wood-product trade flows rather than simply add another cost to the delivered price. GWMI's reading of current freight benchmarks shows a widening gap between major trade corridors.

The sharpest distortion is on the trans-Pacific. Xeneta's Far East–US East Coast spot rate reached USD 11,259 per FEU on September 17, almost 325% above its late-February level and only 11% below the pandemic-era record. The corresponding West Coast rate stood at USD 7,960.

Europe occupies a very different position. Far East–North Europe was quoted at USD 4,103 per FEU and Far East–Mediterranean at USD 4,434, while North Europe–US East Coast stood at USD 2,956. GWMI calculates that the freight gap between Asian and European shipments into the US East Coast therefore exceeds USD 8,300 per container.

For containerised wood products, that spread is large enough to change supplier comparisons before tariffs, currency movements and inland transport are added. GWMI's assessment is that European mouldings, flooring, joinery, hardwood lumber, furniture components and other processed wood products currently enter the US East Coast with a substantial ocean-freight advantage over equivalent Asian shipments.