Average spot freight rates for container shipping held broadly steady in the week ending 2 April 2026, with Drewry’s composite World Container Index reaching $2,287 per 40ft container, up just $8 from $2,279 the previous week. The weekly percentage change was close to zero, although the index still recorded a 4% year-on-year increase compared with the same period in 2025. Beneath this apparent stability, however, lie diverging trends across individual routes and growing pressure on operating costs, which is expected to translate into higher rates in the coming weeks.
On Asia–Europe routes, rates remained relatively resilient despite ongoing tensions in the Middle East. The Shanghai–Genoa route rose by 2% week on week to $3,529 per feu, marking a 16% annual increase. By contrast, Shanghai–Rotterdam remained broadly stable at $2,543 per feu, down just $9 from the previous week but up 10% year on year. According to Drewry’s Container Capacity Insight, only four blank sailings are scheduled on the Asia–Europe corridor in the following week, indicating a still balanced capacity environment. The return leg Rotterdam–Shanghai showed above-average strength, with a 2% weekly increase to $605 per feu and a 30% annual rise, the highest across all routes.
The transpacific market presented a more mixed picture. Rates from Shanghai to New York rose 1% week on week to $3,434 per feu, but remained down 12% year on year. The Shanghai–Los Angeles route was the only one in the panel to decline during the week, falling 1% to $2,663 per feu and posting a 2% annual decrease. On the return leg, Los Angeles–Shanghai edged up 2% to $742 per feu, with a 5% year-on-year increase.
On transatlantic routes, the most pronounced weekly percentage changes were recorded. Rotterdam–New York increased by 2% to $1,579 per feu, although it showed the sharpest annual decline among all routes at -26%. The return route New York–Rotterdam posted the strongest proportional weekly gain in the panel, rising 3% to $1,001 per feu, equivalent to a $31 increase in absolute terms and a 20% year-on-year rise.
The key factor to watch in the coming weeks is fuel costs. Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic passage through which around 20% of global oil supply transits according to Drewry, have tightened bunker availability and pushed prices higher. In major Asian bunkering hubs, notably Singapore and China, marine fuel supply is becoming increasingly constrained. In response, carriers are adopting operational measures such as slow steaming, alternative refuelling strategies and the introduction of emergency fuel surcharges.
Against this backdrop, Maersk has requested that US regulators grant a waiver from the standard 30-day notice period required to introduce an emergency fuel surcharge. The Danish carrier cited the high volatility of fuel costs linked to Middle East tensions. The proposed surcharge amounts to $200 per teu on main routes and $100 per teu on return legs for dry cargo shipments. Drewry expects that, as carriers continue to push for rate increases, spot freight rates will rise further in the coming weeks on both Asia–Europe and transpacific trades.
M.G.
