July 2025 ended with a substantial standstill in spot rates for maritime container transport, after a previous phase of decline, but red arrows have reappeared in the weekly World Container Index published by Drewry on 7 August. The composite index, which reflects the average performance across individual routes, recorded a 3% decrease, bringing the average spot rate down to 2,240 dollars per feu. Not a single route showed an increase.
On the China-Europe corridor, the rate between Shanghai and Genoa dropped by 4% in a week, settling at 3,227 dollars per feu, while the rate between Shanghai and Rotterdam showed a more stable pattern, decreasing slightly from 3,290 to 3,276 dollars. There was also a modest drop in eastbound transport, with the Rotterdam-Shanghai rate falling by six dollars to 489 dollars per feu. Still focusing on the Dutch port, the average cost of shipping a 40-foot container to New York now stands at 1,996 dollars, down from 2,006 dollars the previous week, while the reverse route has seen a 3% drop to 853 dollars.
Across Pacific routes, the most significant decline was seen between Shanghai and New York, where the average spot rate fell by 7% in a single week to 3,826 dollars per feu. The decrease was less steep but still notable between Shanghai and Los Angeles, down 4% to 2,534 dollars per feu. On the return leg, the rate remained virtually unchanged, moving slightly from 714 to 711 dollars.
The ongoing slide in freight rates has also pushed year-on-year comparisons into negative territory. On routes originating from Shanghai, the drop ranges from 61% for shipments to Los Angeles to 56% for those heading to Genoa. The only green arrows are found in transatlantic transport, with an 11% increase between New York and Rotterdam and a 1% rise in the opposite direction, as well as a 1% uptick between Los Angeles and Shanghai. According to Drewry, freight rate volatility is expected to ease as early as next week, since the new tariffs taking effect on 7 August should mark the end of the rush to import goods into the United States. But with Trump, any prediction is a gamble.
