Seoul: Container shipping costs from South Korea to the United States fell for the second consecutive month in March, the customs agency said Tuesday. The average shipping cost for a 40-foot container from South Korea to the U.S. West Coast dropped 13.1 percent from a month earlier to 5.36 million won (US$3,754) in March.
According to Yonhap News Agency, shipping costs to the U.S. East Coast also declined, falling 6.4 percent to 6.17 million won during the same period. Average shipping costs from South Korea to the European Union fell 2.7 percent on-year in March to 4.39 million won, marking the third consecutive monthly decline. On the South Korea-Vietnam route, costs edged down 0.9 percent to 1.75 million won.
However, shipping costs to China rose 4.5 percent to 844,000 won, while those on the Korea-Japan route surged 14.3 percent to 779,000 won in March. The figures include freight rates, commissions and other related charges reported by local exporters, the agency said.