With rates in record territory the size of a ship on the main east-west trade lanes is no longer a limiting factor to entry.

Two up and coming Chinese carriers are set to enter the transpacific trades in the coming weeks.

Rapidly expanding CU Lines, fresh from entering the Asia-Europe trades, will launch a service from China to the US west coast from next month using 2,500 teu-sized ships. Details of the port rotation have yet to be revealed.

Meanwhile, BAL Container Line will launch a service linking China to California in two weeks’ time. The CPX service will use four 2,400 teu ships calling Qingdao, Ningbo and Los Angeles.

The Freightos Baltic Index for spot shipments from Asia to the US west coast jumped 10% last week, to $6,106 per feu pushing rates into ever greater record territories.