The Drewry World Container Index (WCI) fell 2% this week, settling at $2,157 per 40-foot container. This marks a significant 79% drop from the pandemic-era peak of $10,377 recorded in September 2021. Despite the decline, the index remains 52% higher than the pre-pandemic average of $1,420 in 2019.
Year-to-date, the average composite index stands at $2,854—just $38 below the 10-year average of $2,891. This long-term average, however, is skewed upward by the extraordinary freight rates seen during the COVID-19 period from 2020 to 2022.
Freight rate movements on key trade routes showed modest declines this week:
- Shanghai to New York: down 3% ($95) to $3,611
- Shanghai to Los Angeles: down 2% to $2,617
- Rotterdam to Shanghai: down 2% to $481
- Shanghai to Rotterdam: down 1% to $2,312
- Rotterdam to New York: down 1% to $2,109
- New York to Rotterdam: up 1% ($8) to $825
Rates on the Shanghai to Genoa and Los Angeles to Shanghai routes remained unchanged.
Looking ahead, Drewry anticipates further declines in container shipping rates, citing rising uncertainty due to potential retaliatory trade tariffs.
For years, the World Container Index has served as a trusted and independent global benchmark for index-linked container shipping contracts.
