Container rates continue 2025 decline

Drewry’s World Container Index (WCI) continued to decline the week of March 17-21, falling four per cent to US$2,264 per 40-ft container.

The Drewry WCI composite index is now 78 per cent below the previous pandemic peak of US$10,377 in September 2021 and the lowest since January 2024. However, the index was 59 per cent higher than the average US$1,420 in 2019.

The average year-to-date composite index closed at US$3,127 per 40-ft container, US$242 higher than the 10-year average of US$2,885, which was inflated by the COVID-19 period.

Freight rates from Shanghai to Los Angeles decreased nine per cent to US$2,658 per 40-ft container and those from Shanghai to New York dropped seven per cent to US$3,774. Similarly, rates from Shanghai to Rotterdam and Rotterdam to New York fell two per cent to US$2,463 and US$2,316 per 40-ft container, respectively, and those from Rotterdam to Shanghai, New York to Rotterdam and Shanghai to Genoa shrank one per cent to US$484, US$846 and US$3,286, respectively.

Meanwhile rates from Los Angeles to Shanghai remained stable.

Drewry expects rates to decrease slightly in the coming weeks.