The World Container Index assessed by Drewry, a composite of container freight rates on eight major routes to/from the US, Europe and Asia, is down by 1.9% to 1,292.06 $ for a 40ft container. The index has been heading south since August.
The composite index is down by 1.9 % this[ds_preview] week and up by 3 % from the same period of 2016. The average composite index of the WCI, assessed by Drewry for year-to-date, is US 1,521 $ per 40ft container, which is 104 $ lower than the five-year average of 1,625 $ for a 40ft container. It is also 3 % higher than a year ago.
Drewry’s composite index has been heading south since August, losing 299 $ per FEU in two months to reach 1,292 $ this week. The World Container Index (WCI) between Shanghai and Rotterdam lost another 72 $ for a 40ft box this week to reach 1,325 $. Similarly, the rates from Shanghai to Los Angeles dropped by 25 $ to reach 1,439 $ per FEU, and the rates on Shanghai-New York declined by another 21 $ to reach 1,960 $ per 40ft box.
Meanwhile, the rates on Rotterdam-New York surged to 2,003 $, an increase of 120 $. The analysts expect the rates on routes originating from Asia to decline again next week, following a week-long holiday in China.
