The Drewry World Container Index (WCI) fell 4% to $2,445 per 40ft container this week. The decline was driven primarily by weaker demand on the Transpacific and Asia–Europe trade routes, despite upward pressure ahead of the Chinese New Year factory shutdowns in mid-February.
© Ilfede | Dreamstime
Spot rate highlights from Shanghai:
- Shanghai → New York: -10% to $3,568/40ft
- Shanghai → Los Angeles: -7% to $2,909/40ft
- Shanghai → Rotterdam: -3% to $2,763/40ft
- Shanghai → Genoa: -1% to $3,839/40ft
The report also notes that carriers paused plans to resume Red Sea transits due to escalating protests in Iran and the risk of U.S. military involvement, adding regional volatility.
The WCI remains a trusted benchmark for index-linked contracts, providing global visibility across major East–West container trades. Drewry also offers Container Freight Rate Insight (CFRI) for 6,700 global port pairs, updated monthly and fortnightly, and a Benchmarking Club for shippers to compare contract and spot rates confidentially.
© Drewry
More information:
Drewry
www.drewry.co.uk
