Containership charter rates strengthened in August, with several smaller and mid-sized vessel segments recording higher assessments compared with both July and the same period last year.
According to the September 2026 edition of DynaLiners Monthly, New ConTex assessments increased month on month across all eight vessel categories covered by the index. However, the year-on-year picture remained more mixed, particularly for larger tonnage.
Mid-sized tonnage records strong gains
The 1,700 TEU segment recorded the strongest year-on-year increase. Its New ConTex assessment reached US$33,877 per day in August, compared with US$33,025 in July and US$26,760 in August 2025, representing an annual increase of 26.6%.
The 2,500 TEU assessment rose to US$37,227 per day from US$35,423 in July. This was 6.9% higher than the US$34,840 recorded a year earlier.
Meanwhile, the 2,700 TEU category climbed to US$40,052 per day, up from US$37,818 in July and 9.3% above its August 2025 level.
The 4,250 TEU segment also remained strong, reaching US$58,825 per day. This was up from US$58,050 in July and 12.5% higher year on year.
At the larger end of the market, the year-on-year trend was weaker. The 5,700 TEU assessment stood at US$58,825 per day, down 2.5% from US$60,356 a year earlier. The 6,500 TEU category was also assessed at US$58,825 per day, 10.4% below the US$65,678 recorded in August 2025.
The figures point to a differentiated charter market, with the strongest annual increases concentrated in smaller and mid-sized vessel categories.
Hapag-Lloyd secures vessels on long-term charters
Several notable charter fixtures were also reported during the period.
Hapag-Lloyd extended the charter of the 15,400 TEU Atlanta Express, built in 2014, for 84 months at a reported rate of US$49,000 per day.
The German carrier also extended the 3,700 TEU Osaka for 35 to 37 months at US$37,000 per day and the 1,900 TEU Cape Bruno for 36 months at US$21,000 per day.
Maersk active across mid-sized segments
Maersk was also active in the charter market.
The Danish carrier reportedly fixed the 4,400 TEU BF Giant for 36 months at US$35,000 per day, while the 4,300 TEU Ren Jian 10 was fixed for 24 months at US$44,500 per day.
Maersk also secured the 4,300 TEU Navios Domino for 36 months at US$35,000 per day.
Further down the size range, the carrier extended the 3,800 TEU Brickell at US$30,000 per day for 32 to 34 months and the 3,400 TEU Haian Gama at US$34,500 per day for 24 months.
These fixtures show that carriers continued to commit to multi-year charter periods across several vessel sizes.
Broader charter indices remain elevated
The September DynaLiners report also showed the Harpex averaging 2,371 points in August, up from 2,337 in July and 2,196 in August 2025.
Its latest reading in the report was 2,447, also listed as the 2026 high.
The BOX Index followed a similar direction. It averaged 305.1 points in August, compared with 291.2 in July and 265.6 a year earlier. Its latest reading stood at 315.6, matching its 2026 high.
Together with the New ConTex assessments and the reported long-term fixtures, the figures indicate that the containership charter market remained firm, although performance continued to vary considerably by vessel size.
