After seventeen straight weeks of falling prices, the spot market for average container freight rates shows signs of recovery. According to Drewry’s weekly update released on 16 October 2025, the composite index rose by 2% to 1,687 dollars per 40-foot container. It is the first sign of an upturn in more than four months, driven mainly by Asia–Europe routes.
The strongest increases were recorded between China and Europe. The Shanghai–Rotterdam route climbed by 6%, from 1,577 to 1,669 dollars per container, while the Shanghai–Genoa route rose by 2%, from 1,793 to 1,821 dollars. These gains follow the introduction, on 15 October, of Freight All Kinds surcharges by major carriers seeking to counter the price weakness that followed China’s Golden Week holiday.
However, when viewed on an annual basis, the movement remains modest. Compared with twelve months ago, the Shanghai–Rotterdam rate is down 51%, while the Shanghai–Genoa rate has fallen by 47%. The return route, Rotterdam–Shanghai, showed a slight weekly rise from 449 to 452 dollars, but still records a 17% decline year on year.
Transpacific routes display similar dynamics, with a mild rebound over the past week but still far below 2023 levels. The Shanghai–Los Angeles rate increased by 1% to 2,195 dollars per feu, and the Shanghai–New York rate also rose by 1% to 3,236 dollars, while the return leg Los Angeles–Shanghai dropped by 1% to 710 dollars. On an annual basis, the link to the US West Coast shows the sharpest decline, down 56%.
Drewry expects the current increase in rates to continue briefly, supported by General Rate Increases applied by carriers in mid-October. However, the consultancy foresees renewed weakness in the coming weeks, with further attempts at rate hikes already scheduled for 1 and 15 November. According to Drewry’s Container Forecaster, the growing imbalance between available capacity and actual demand is likely to intensify downward pressure on freight rates over the next few quarters.
