The downward trend in average spot container freight rates continues through April 2025. The final weekly update of the month, published by Drewry on 1 May, shows a red arrow across all major routes, with the sole exception of shipments from New York to Rotterdam, which rose by 2% to 842 dollars per 40-foot container. The steepest falls are seen between China and Europe: rates from Shanghai to Genoa fell by 4%, dropping below the 3,000-dollar mark to 2,889 dollars, while the Shanghai–Rotterdam route registered a 5% decrease, down to 2,202 dollars. In the opposite direction, from the Dutch port to China, rates declined by 4% to 464 dollars per FEU.
Transpacific routes also show negative figures, though the drops are slightly less severe than those between China and Europe. The average spot rate for a container shipped from Shanghai to Los Angeles fell by 1% over the week to 2,590 dollars per FEU, while shipments from Shanghai to New York saw a larger decrease of 3%, bringing the rate down to 3,500 dollars per FEU.
The declines in recent weeks have also pushed annual trends into negative territory. The year-on-year drop from Shanghai to Genoa now stands at 22%, while the Shanghai–Rotterdam route is down by 29%. Across the Pacific, the annual decline is 23% between Shanghai and Los Angeles, and 20% between Shanghai and New York. Once again, the only positive figure remains on the New York to Rotterdam route, up 35%, while in the reverse direction the rate has fallen by 8%.
