According to the World Container Index published by Drewry on 22 May 2025, average spot freight rates for container transport maintained the trend observed the previous week, with rates remaining stable on China-Europe and transatlantic routes, and increasing on China-US routes, though with a slower growth rate than in the previous period. The exception in the China-Europe trade was Genoa. While the rate between Shanghai and Rotterdam remained virtually unchanged at 2,030 dollars per feu compared to the previous 2,035 dollars, the rate from the Chinese port to Genoa rose by 4 percent to 2,841 dollars.
The rise in freight rates continues on transpacific routes, albeit at a more moderate pace. The largest percentage increase was recorded between Shanghai and New York, where rates rose by 4 percent to 4,527 dollars per feu. Between the Chinese port and Los Angeles, the increase was limited to 2 percent, bringing the rate to 3,197 dollars. In the opposite direction, the growth was just one percent, reaching 713 dollars.
Rates remained flat in both directions on the Europe-United States route. The rate from Rotterdam to New York edged down from 1,961 to 1,952 dollars per feu, while the return route from the US port to the Dutch terminal inched up from 824 to 825 dollars. Drewry anticipates a further rise in rates in the coming weeks between China and the United States, due to expected growth in transport demand.
