Drewry's World Container Index (WCI) rose 16% this week to $2,557 per 40ft container, driven primarily by increased rates on Transpacific and Asia–Europe trade lanes. Spot rates from Shanghai to Genoa jumped 13% to $3,885 per container, while Shanghai–Rotterdam rates rose 10% to $2,840. On Asia–North America routes, Shanghai to Los Angeles surged 26% to $3,132, and Shanghai to New York increased 20% to $3,957 per container.
© Chantip Ditcharoen | Dreamstime
Despite a 7–10% month-on-month increase in capacity on Asia–North America routes and 5–7% on Asia–Northern Europe/Med routes, anecdotal evidence suggests soft shipment volumes, indicating that the recent rate hikes are likely opportunistic and may not be sustainable. Drewry continues to monitor spot market freight rates across 6,700 global port pairs through its Container Freight Rate Insight (CFRI) service, which provides essential benchmarking data for importers, exporters, and freight forwarders.
© Drewry
The surge highlights ongoing volatility in global container shipping, emphasising the need for shippers to carefully track spot and contract rates to optimise their supply chain costs. Drewry's Benchmarking Club and associated services offer tailored analysis, forecasts, and contract appraisal support to help businesses navigate these fluctuations.
More information:
Drewry
www.drewry.co.uk
