The container shipping market closed the week of 19 March 2026 with a further upward acceleration. Drewry’s World Container Index reached a composite value of $2,172 per 40ft container, up 2% from $2,123 the previous week. Growth was driven primarily by transpacific routes and the increasing impact of geopolitical tensions on global supply chains. On an annual basis, however, the composite index remains down 4%.
The most disruptive factor this week has been the conflict in the Middle East. Attacks carried out by the United States and Israel on Iran, and Tehran’s response, have disrupted tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which around 20% of the world’s crude oil passes. The immediate effect has been a rise in crude oil prices, prompting major shipping lines to introduce emergency bunker surcharges (EBS). CMA CGM raised its surcharge from $150 to $265 per TEU effective 16 March, while OOCL, COSCO and Maersk adopted similar measures. According to Drewry, these actions are likely to translate into further freight rate increases in the coming weeks.
Transpacific routes recorded the most significant changes over the week. Freight rates from Shanghai to New York reached $3,310 per 40ft container, a 7% increase, equivalent to $230 in seven days. The rise on the Shanghai–Los Angeles route was more moderate but still notable, up 4% to $2,591. Reduced capacity also weighed on both corridors: Drewry Container Capacity Insight reports that six blank sailings are scheduled on the US East and West Coasts in the week following 19 March. Despite the weekly increases, transpacific rates remain below year-ago levels, with Shanghai–New York still down 12% year-on-year and Shanghai–Los Angeles down 3%. The return leg, Los Angeles–Shanghai, stands at $727, up 4% compared with a year earlier.
On Asia–Europe routes, the picture is more stable but with signs of upward pressure. The Shanghai–Rotterdam route rose 1% week-on-week to $2,478, in line with its 1% annual increase. Shanghai–Genoa remains the most expensive route into Europe at $3,108, broadly unchanged despite a technical dip of $12, but down 5% year-on-year. Drewry notes that only three blank sailings are scheduled on Asia–Europe services in the following week, indicating broadly stable capacity. Meanwhile, carriers such as MSC and CMA CGM have announced new FAK (Freight All Kinds) rates in the $6,200–$6,400 range, effective 22 March, pointing to further increases in upcoming assessments.
Transatlantic routes show a mixed trend. New York–Rotterdam gained 2% to reach $961, marking the strongest annual increase among the routes analysed at +14%. In contrast, Rotterdam–New York was the only route to decline over the week, falling 2% to $1,504. This route has also recorded the steepest contraction over the past year, down 35%, reflecting a structural imbalance in trade flows across the Atlantic.
