Spot rates on container transports from Europe to Asia increased by 10.4 percent in the past week, to USD 1,501 per twenty-foot container (teu). This puts the rate at the highest level since August last year, according to a source with access to data from the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index, published on Friday, writes Reuters.

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The rates went up 9.7 percent last week, and the development marks the rate increase that Maersk Line and other major container carriers announced for August 1st.

This puts the average rate on Asia-Europe in 2013 at USD 1,066, while the average in 2012 was USD 1,378 per teu.

The total SCFI index increased 6.8 percent, to USD 1,162.45 per teu. Asia-Europe makes up 20 percent of the total index.

Maersk Line, which is part of A.P. Moeller-Maersk, has a global market share of 15 percent and is thus the world's largest container carrier. The carrier has a market share of around 20 percent on the route from Asia to Europe.

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