On October 15, 2025, domestic futures main contracts showed mixed performance. SC crude oil, low sulfur fuel oil (LU), glass, fuel oil, iron ore, Shanghai zinc, and asphalt all declined by more than 1%. On the upside, the container shipping index (Europe route) surged over 4%, polysilicon rose more than 3%, while Shanghai silver, No. 20 rubber, and Shanghai gold each gained over 2%.

According to a research report from Guotou Futures dated October 15, shipping companies have intensively announced rate increases for November this week. Additionally, Maersk set its Week 44 rate at $1,800/FEU, consistent with its late October spot pricing. The market interprets this as rate increase announcements gradually materializing, reinforcing expectations for at least two rounds of rate hikes in November-December, which has boosted peak season expectations for December contracts. However, the December contract has already risen to nearly 1,700 points, trading at a premium of approximately 650 points above spot prices (equivalent to about $2,400/FEU). Further upward movement requires verification from actual spot market stabilization and recovery. Yesterday, China's Ministry of Commerce imposed countermeasures against five US subsidiaries of Hanwha Ocean, which briefly raised market concerns about Europe route operations since Hanwha Ocean is one of South Korea's major shipbuilding companies. However, the sanctions target entities not directly related to its domestic shipbuilding operations, resulting in limited actual impact on the container ship market. (This content and views are for reference only and do not constitute any investment advice)