The Drewry World Container Index (WCI) increased 16% to $2,557 per 40ft container, mainly due to rate hikes on Transpacific and Asia–Europe trade routes, the UK-based maritime consultancy announced.
Spot rates on the Shanghai–Genoa increased 13% to $3,885 per 40ft container, while those on Shanghai–Rotterdam rose 10% to $2,840 per 40ft container. This upward momentum was driven by higher FAK rates implemented by carriers.
Spot rates on Shanghai to Los Angeles surged 26% to $3,132 per 40ft container and those from Shanghai to New York increased 20% to $3,957 per 40ft container.
Capacity rose 7–10% MoM on both Asia–North American routes and 5–7% on Asia–North Europe/Med routes in January, while anecdotal information points to soft volumes from Asia to the US, indicating that these large increases appear opportunistic and unlikely to last long.
(Dreamstime photo of Port of Shanghai)