In the first full week of July 2025, container freight rates continued their downward trend, extending across all routes compared to the previous week, according to the World Container Index published by Drewry on 10 July. Among the routes to Europe, the Shanghai–Genoa link recorded the most significant drop, down 7%, bringing the average spot rate for a 40-foot container to 3,491 dollars—a 54% decrease year-on-year. The rate for the Shanghai–Rotterdam route fell by 2%, reaching 3,384 dollars, a 58% drop compared to the same period last year. In the reverse direction, from the Dutch port to China, rates remained unchanged at 487 dollars.
Pacific routes also showed a clear decline. The rate from Shanghai to Los Angeles dropped by 8% in one week, falling below the three-thousand-dollar threshold to 2,931 dollars per feu. The Shanghai–New York rate decreased by 5%, slipping below the five-thousand-dollar mark to 4,839 dollars. Rates in the opposite direction remained virtually flat, with the Los Angeles to Shanghai rate increasing only slightly from 714 to 723 dollars per feu over the week.
In the Atlantic, trends varied depending on the direction of travel. The average spot rate for a container moving from Rotterdam to New York fell by 6%, dipping below the two-thousand-dollar level to 1,990 dollars. Conversely, the rate from New York to Rotterdam held steady at 866 dollars, compared to 867 the previous week. Drewry forecasts that freight rates will continue to decline in the coming week.
