On October 20, COSCO (Cayman) Mercury Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of COSCO SHIPPING Holdings, entered into a comprehensive partnership with Seaspan, a globally renowned independent charter owner and leasing operator of containerships, at the Finance & Insurance Thematic Forum of the 2026 North Bund International Shipping Forum. Both parties designated Shanghai as the seat of arbitration for any potential disputes arising from their charter contracts. This collaboration serves as an example for using Shanghai’s maritime arbitration services in the global shipping market, thus facilitating the integration of China’s high-end maritime legal services into the global shipping governance system.

During the Finance & Insurance Thematic Forum, COSCO SHIPPING Holdings witnessed the official launch of seven new route indices for the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) by the Shanghai Shipping Exchange Institute (in preparation). They include the one covering 40-foot containers on the Shanghai–Europe route. At the same time, the 2026 edition of the Model Service Contract Linked to Container Freight Indices was launched.

With an aim to further enhance its index offerings and to provide more precise references for freight rates, the institute introduced trial operation for two indices in January 2025: the one for 20-foot containers on East Africa route and the one for 20-foot containers on Central and South America route. In May 2026, another five indices were put into trial operation: 40-foot containers on Europe route, 40-foot containers on the Mediterranean route, 40-foot containers on South America route, 40-foot containers on Central and South America route, and 20-foot containers on India-Pakistan route. During the trial periods, the new indices tracked market movements on a timely basis and attracted wide attention from industry participants. The formal publication of these indices has broadened the coverage of the SCFI, providing upstream and downstream companies in the shipping sector with more precise and differentiated references for freight rates and index-linked settlement. COSCO SHIPPING Lines and OOCL, the dual brands under COSCO SHIPPING Holdings, are among the largest container carriers at the Port of Shanghai. Their trunk route networks basically cover the directions corresponding to the aforementioned seven shipping lanes.

Meanwhile, the Model Service Contract Linked to Container Freight Indices (2026 Edition) was developed based on the previous version by incorporating additional container sizes covered by the indices, expanding the scope of coverage by the indices, and enhancing the references of the indices. These enhancements are designed to better satisfy diversified index-linked settlement demands of shipowners, cargo owners and financial institutions, while promoting more standardized and transparent applications of these indices.