The Drewry World Container Index (WCI) composite index rose by 3% to $2,265 per 40ft container, marking a significant decrease of 78% from its pandemic peak of $10,377 in September 2021. Despite this drop, the current index remains 59% higher than the pre-pandemic average of $1,420 recorded in 2019.
Year-to-date (YTD) figures for the composite index closed at an average of $2,944 per 40ft container, which is $55 higher than the 10-year average of $2,889—a number inflated by the extraordinary conditions during the 2020–2022 COVID period.
Freight rates across major routes have demonstrated upward trends. Rates from Shanghai to Rotterdam climbed by 4% ($88), reaching $2,392 per 40ft container, while rates from Shanghai to Los Angeles increased 3% ($89) to $2,815 per 40ft container. Similarly, rates from Rotterdam to Shanghai and Shanghai to New York grew by 2%, hitting $475 and $3,976 per 40ft container, respectively.
Additional rate adjustments include:
- Shanghai to Genoa: Up 1% to $3,071 per 40ft container
- Rotterdam to New York: Up 1% to $2,153 per 40ft container
- New York to Rotterdam: Down 1% ($7), settling at $824 per 40ft container
Meanwhile, freight rates from Los Angeles to Shanghai remained unchanged. Looking ahead, Drewry anticipates further increases in shipping rates, driven by tariff adjustments and reduced capacity in global trade lanes.
