Seoul: Container shipping costs from South Korea to the western part of the United States fell for the third consecutive month in April, the customs agency said Thursday. The average shipping cost for a 40-foot container from South Korea to the U.S. West Coast dropped 6.8 percent from a month earlier to 5.76 million won (US$4,080) last month.
According to Yonhap News Agency, shipping costs to the U.S. East Coast, on the other hand, gained 3.2 percent to 5.57 million won during the same period. Average shipping costs from South Korea to the European Union fell 8.6 percent on-month in April to 3.97 million won, marking the fourth consecutive month of decline.
Shipping costs to China fell 9.8 percent to 748,000 won, while those on the Korea-Japan route gained 2.5 percent to 742,000 won in March. The figures include freight rates, commissions, and other related charges reported by local exporters, the agency said.