Drewry’s World Container Index decreased 4% to $2,445 per 40ft container this week.

Our detailed assessment for Thursday, 15 Jan 2026
• The Drewry World Container Index (WCI) decreased 4% to $2,445 per 40ft container, mainly due to a drop in rates on the Transpacific and Asia–Europe trade routes.
• Spot rates on Shanghai to New York decreased 10% to $3,568 per 40ft container and those from Shanghai to Los Angeles decreased 7% to $2,909 per 40ft container. Carriers were unable to sustain rates because of weak demand despite upwards pressure on spot rates due to the expected Chinese New Year factory shutdowns in mid-February.
• Spot rates on the Shanghai–Rotterdam decreased 3% to $2,763 per 40ft container, while those on Shanghai–Genoa decreased 1% to $3,839 per 40ft container. Ocean carriers have put on hold their plans to resume transits via the Red Sea amid escalating protests in Iran and the risk of direct US military intervention, which continues to drive volatility in the region.

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