Drewry: World Container Index gain 8% Last Week

LONDON: Drewry’s World Container Index increased 8% to $2,123 per 40ft container this week.

Drewry’s detailed assessment for Thursday, 12 March 2026

The Drewry World Container Index (WCI) increased 8% to $2,123 per 40ft container, mainly due to a sharp rise in rates on the Asia–Europe route, alongside gains on the Transpacific route. Notably, while double-digit growth was observed on the Transpacific route last week, the Asia–Europe route recorded a double-digit increase this week.

Spot rates on the Shanghai–Rotterdam trade route increased 19% to $2,443 per 40ft container and those on Shanghai–Genoa increased 10% to $3,120 per 40ft container. According to Drewry’s Container Capacity Insight, only 5 blank sailings have been announced on the Asia–Europe trade route next week. Meanwhile, several carriers such as MSC and CMA CGM have announced higher FAK rates effective 22 March. As carriers continue to manage capacity while implementing rate increases, Drewry expects spot rates to rise further in the coming weeks.

Spot rates from Shanghai to Los Angeles increased 4% to $2,503 per 40ft container, while those from Shanghai to New York increased 3% to $3,080 per 40ft container. According to Drewry’s Container Capacity Insight, 7 blank sailings have been announced for the next week on the Transpacific East and West Coast trade routes. Meanwhile, the ongoing Middle East conflict continues to affect global supply chains, supporting higher freight rates in the short term. Drewry thus expects spot rates on this trade to increase in the coming weeks.

Ocean spot market freight rates against 6,700 global port pairs

If you need spot market container freight rate information on other routes to those above, find out more about our Container Freight Rate Insight (CFRI) online service, which covers 6,700 global port pairs updated monthly (2,450 updated fortnightly).

Source: Drewry