Drewry’s World Container Index, published on 9 October 2025, recorded a further 1% decrease to USD 1,651 per 40-foot container. This marks the seventeenth consecutive week of decline and the lowest level since January 2024. However, week-on-week reductions across the main routes were less pronounced. The trend nonetheless confirms a structurally weak market, with an ongoing imbalance between supply and demand that Drewry expects to keep weighing on rates in the coming quarters.
Routes between China and Europe remain the softest. The Shanghai–Rotterdam rate dropped to USD 1,577 per FEU, down 2% on the week and 9.1% year-on-year. The Shanghai–Genoa route fell to USD 1,793, a 1% weekly decline and 9.9% lower than the same period in 2024. The reverse route, Rotterdam–Shanghai, also weakened slightly to USD 449, down 2.2% week-on-week and 2.6% year-on-year. These figures bring rates back to pre–Red Sea crisis levels, highlighting slower Chinese exports to Europe and subdued demand conditions.
On China–US routes, the trend was less pronounced. The seasonal slowdown linked to China’s Golden Week contributed to more moderate movements. The Shanghai–Los Angeles rate slipped 1% to USD 2,176 per FEU, 5.8% lower year-on-year. The Shanghai–New York route remained broadly unchanged at USD 3,189, stable over the week but down 2.7% compared with a year earlier. The reverse route, Los Angeles–Shanghai, held steady at USD 716, with a slight 0.6% weekly increase and no annual change. Overall, the transpacific market appears less volatile than the Eurasian one.
Connections between Europe and the United States also showed a downward trend, though more gradual. The Rotterdam–New York rate fell to USD 1,759, down 2.1% on the week and 3.3% year-on-year. On the return leg, New York–Rotterdam settled at USD 830, a 2% weekly fall and 1.4% lower than a year ago. Downward pressure on rates persists but remains less intense than on Asian routes, supported by steadier demand and a more evenly managed capacity increase.
