Container rates drop for first time this year

Drewry’s World Container Index (WCI) fell for the first time in 2025, dropping three per cent to US$3,855 per 40-ft container for the week of Jan. 13-17.

The Drewry WCI composite index is now 63 per cent below the previous pandemic peak of US$10,377 in September 2021, but is 171 per cent higher than the average US$1,420 in 2019.

The average year-to-date composite index is US$3,915 per 40-ft container, US$1,045 higher than the 10-year average of US$2,871, which is inflated by the COVID-19 period.

Freight rates from Shanghai to Los Angeles decreased five per cent to US$5,228 per 40-ft container, while rates from Shanghai to New York fell four per cent to US$6,825 per cent. Rates from Shanghai to Rotterdam dropped three per cent to US$4,231 per 40-ft container, Shanghai to Genoa fell two per cent to US$5,086 and Rotterdam to Shanghai shrank one per cent to US$518 per 40-ft container.

Conversely, spot rates from Rotterdam to New York increased four per cent to US$2,798 and rates from Los Angeles to Shanghai rose one per cent to US$725 per 40-ft container.

Rates from New York to Rotterdam remained stable.

Drewry expects spot rates to decrease slightly in the coming weeks due to increased capacity.