The EAX index for October 2025 confirmed that the Asia-Mexico maritime market closed the month caught between increasing supply pressure and the inability of shipping lines to sustain tariff recovery attempts.
Eternity Group reported that the indicator ended at $1,934 per 40-foot container (FEU) , equivalent to a 13.35% drop compared to September, a correction that reflects “the decline in the utilization of vessels before and during the Chinese Golden Week,” a phenomenon that immediately weakened spot rates.
The setback was significant: the month repeated the pattern that marked the year, where capacity expansion outweighed any commercial attempt to stabilize prices.
For the first 10 months of this year, Pacific ports in Mexico had received a total of 2,259,294 twenty-foot containers (TEUs) , a decrease of just 0.9% compared to the same period of the previous year, according to data from the country’s port authority.
Eternity Group also highlighted a structural element: deployed capacity continued its sustained growth. In October, an additional 60,000 TEUs were added compared to the same month in 2024, confirming that the oversupply is not a temporary phenomenon. Globally, October marked the seventh consecutive month of strong new fleet deliveries, exceeding 150,000 TEUs. MSC once again dominated the market, taking delivery of 47,000 TEUs and reinforcing its leading position in the global expansion of container ships.
Eternity Group’s analysis also delves into the performance of the East Coast South America (ECSA) index, which settled at $3,070 per container, a 12.48% decrease, practically mirroring the adjustment of the MX+WCSA index. The determining factor was once again supply: “Weekly available capacity increased by approximately 100,000 TEUs,” a change that surpassed even the pace of September and amplified the downward pressure on rates.
With the year drawing to a close, the outlook does not anticipate a radical change. According to the report, a “notable reduction in FAK rate volatility” is expected, as well as a “low probability of new, successful general rate increases.” Space availability is expected to remain “essentially stable,” and transit times are expected to be “relatively predictable,” with the exception of occasional delays at congested ports.
The October EAX close confirms that the market is moving toward a forced stabilization driven more by saturation than by natural equilibrium. The question for 2026 is not whether there will be enough capacity, but how quickly shipping lines can adjust to an environment where oversupply has become the true compass of the Asia-Mexico trade.
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