Daily Industry Briefing
Three things to watch today: shipping lines are cutting sailings ahead of China's National Day Golden Week, making space tight; the US Fed rate hike is pushing the Ringgit toward 4.08, making currency exchange more expensive; and MTT Shipping, Malaysia's largest domestic shipping company, is spending RM2 billion on new vessels, but charter costs are rising in the meantime. Put these three together, and if you're shipping from China to Malaysia in early October, you could face booking difficulties, unfavourable exchange rates, and rising freight costs all at once.
Today's Three Stories
1. National Day Golden Week Approaches: Shipping Lines Cancel 78 Sailings, Transpacific Southwest Route Cuts 32% of Capacity
To prepare for factory shutdowns during China's National Day Golden Week, shipping lines plan to cancel 78 sailings (blank sailings) between Weeks 38 and 43
Splash247 / The Loadstar · 2026-09-20 · Read Original Article ↗
2. Fed's September Rate Hike Leans Hawkish, Ringgit Weakens Toward 4.08-4.10 Against the US Dollar
The Fed's September policy meeting leaned hawkish and signalled one more rate hike this year, pushing the US Dollar Index up to 100.322 points
Free Malaysia Today / Malay Mail · 2026-09-17 · Read Original Article ↗
3. Malaysia's Largest Domestic Shipping Company MTT Shipping to Invest RM2 Billion in 12 New Vessels Over Three Years
MTT plans to invest approximately RM2 billion between FY26 and FY29 to acquire 12 new container ships, including 6 large 3,300 TEU vessels for expanding regional routes
BusinessToday Malaysia · 2026-09-19 · Read Original Article ↗
HASTE TAKE
Golden Week Sailing Cuts, a Weaker Ringgit, and Rising Charter Costs Are Stacking Up — Early October Shipments Could Get Hit Three Ways
If your cargo needs to transship to Europe, the US, or via Singapore, these next two weeks will feel especially tight. To prepare for China's National Day Golden Week starting in October, shipping lines have cancelled 78 sailings across Weeks 38 to 43, with the Transpacific Southwest route alone losing 29 sailings — that's 32% of the route's capacity gone. With fewer ships available, carriers will prioritise the routes with the highest freight rates, and US East Coast rates have already climbed to USD 11,259 per container, close to the all-time record of USD 12,683 set during the pandemic in 2022. With fewer vessels around, congestion is spreading to Singapore too, a key transshipment hub, where waiting times have already stretched past 4 days. If your cargo needs to transship via Singapore onto smaller vessels to Port Klang or Butterworth, expect longer queues there as well.
This is a condensed version. The full briefing, with every key point, the cost comparison table and the recommended actions, is published on the Haste website:
The information above is compiled from public reports. Please refer to official announcements and carriers for the latest freight rates, exchange rates, and sailing schedules. Haste is not responsible for losses arising from market fluctuations.
