Drewry has reported a 4% decline in the World Container Index, bringing it down to $2,168 per 40-foot container for the week ending on March 27, 2025. This latest figure is now 79% below the pandemic peak of $10,377 recorded in September 2021, marking the lowest level since January 2024. Nonetheless, the index remains 53% higher than the pre-pandemic average of $1,420 in 2019.
The average year-to-date composite index stands at $3,053 per 40-foot container, which is $167 above the 10-year average of $2,886. This average has been notably affected by the extraordinary freight rate spikes seen during the Covid period from 2020 to 2022. Freight rates across various routes have shown mixed trends.
From Rotterdam to New York, rates decreased by 7% ($154), settling at $2,162 per 40-foot container. In a similar drop, rates from Shanghai to Los Angeles reduced by 6% ($171), now at $2,487. Additionally, rates from Shanghai to Rotterdam and from Shanghai to New York fell by 4%, to $2,370 and $3,622 respectively.
Rates from Shanghai to Genoa also saw a decrease of 3% ($115), leaving it at $3,171 per container. On the other side, there were minor increases in rates from Rotterdam to Shanghai, which rose by 3% ($16) to $500, and from Los Angeles to Shanghai, increasing by 1% ($7) to $709. Rates from New York to Rotterdam remained stable through this reporting period.
Moving forward, Drewry anticipates a slight decrease in rates over the coming weeks.