Figures from the World Container Index published on 3 July 2025 by Drewry indicate a significant overall drop in average spot rates for container shipping from China, with one notable exception: the route from Shanghai to Rotterdam. Here, the rate has increased by 8% in a single week, reaching 3,468 US dollars for a 40-foot container. Staying in Europe, the trend on the Shanghai–Genoa route is markedly different, with a 9% decline bringing the rate below 4,000 dollars per feu, now at 3,751 dollars. Drewry does not explain the reasons for this divergence, but it is likely linked to congestion at North European ports caused by recent strikes, which may have driven up rates to these destinations.
The absence of broader global factors behind the Dutch port’s figures is further supported by the marked drop in freight rates between China and the United States, a trend ongoing for several weeks. The rate from Shanghai to Los Angeles has fallen by 15% in one week, down to 3,180 dollars per feu, while the rate to New York has dropped by 11% to 5,070 dollars. Shipments from the US to China have remained stable, moving only slightly from 717 to 714 dollars per feu on the Los Angeles–Shanghai route, while rates from Europe have decreased, falling from 515 to 487 dollars from Rotterdam to Shanghai.
The World Container Index also shows a rise in rates on the transatlantic route: from Rotterdam to New York, prices rose by 7% to 2,119 dollars per feu, while in the opposite direction they increased by 5% to 867 dollars. Drewry expects freight rates to continue declining over the coming week, due to the combined impact of growing global container ship capacity and weakening demand.
