Taiwanese container line Wan Hai posted higher revenue in August and expects strong demand into September, good news for shipping investors and a sign that freight rates are holding up.

• Wan Hai's August revenue rose from July and jumped 66% from a year earlier, its fifth straight monthly gain.
• Both cargo volumes and shipping rates went up, with the main Shanghai export freight index climbing six weeks in a row.
• Chinese exporters are shipping goods early ahead of the long National Day holiday in October, keeping September demand firm.
• Low water levels in the Panama Canal and typhoons in Asia are disrupting schedules, while port congestion and limited new ship capacity keep rates high.

Outlook: Freight rates should stay elevated through September as pre-holiday shipping and port bottlenecks continue to squeeze capacity.