Drewry's World Container Index (WCI), a weekly index reflecting the average spot prices for transporting a 40-foot container on major global shipping routes, fell 3% to $2,424 per 40ft container in the week ended 7 August 2025. The decline follows a period of sharp price fluctuations that began in April, when the United States announced new import tariffs. This led to sharp increases in freight rates in May and early June, after which the market corrected sharply until mid-July. Since then, the rate of price decline has levelled off.
© DrewryTrans-Pacific routes in particular showed lower spot rates this week. Shanghai-Los Angeles fares fell 4% to $2,534 per FEU, while Shanghai-New York showed a sharp 7% drop to $3,826 per FEU. According to Drewry, the biggest shipping peak to ship goods before the tariff increase has now passed, which may lead to a more stable price pattern in the short term.
Still, the outlook remains uncertain. In its Container Forecaster, Drewry expects the supply-demand balance to weaken again in the second half of 2025, which could lead to further price pressure. The extent and timing of future rate movements will partly depend on new US trade measures and capacity adjustments, including possible sanctions against Chinese ships.
© Drewry
© Drewry
Source: Drewry
