The downward trend in average spot rates for maritime container transport between China and Europe, which defined the start of 2025, has seen an abrupt slowdown, and in one case, even a rebound. This occurred on the Shanghai-Rotterdam route, where rates rose by 2% to 2,636 dollars per feu, according to the Drewry World Container Index published on 6 March. Meanwhile, the route between the Chinese port and Genoa has remained stable, shifting marginally from 3,747 to 3,745 dollars. On an annual basis, both routes still show a negative difference, with Shanghai-Rotterdam down 28% and Shanghai-Genoa decreasing by 16%. The decline continues in the opposite direction, with a weekly drop of 4% (483 dollars) from Rotterdam to Shanghai. A general stability is also evident in transatlantic rates, with the Rotterdam-New York route decreasing by one percent to 2,359 dollars per feu, while in the opposite direction, it has increased by the same percentage to 845 dollars.
Conversely, spot rates continue to decline on trans-Pacific routes. The cost of shipping a 40-foot container from Shanghai to Los Angeles has fallen by 9% in a week to 3,166 dollars, a percentage that stands at 2% when considering the annual variation. In the opposite direction, rates remain stable at 701 dollars, compared to 700 dollars the previous week. The Shanghai-New York route has also seen a decline, with rates dropping by 6% weekly to 4,320 dollars per feu and by 21% on an annual basis. The composite weekly index, which includes all routes covered by the Drewry World Container Index, has fallen by 3% to 2,541 dollars.
