As the New Year approaches, major trade routes continue to strengthen. Global container freight rates rose 1% this week to $2,213 per 40-foot container, marking the fourth consecutive week of increases.
Driven by rising freight rates on trans-Pacific and Asia-Europe routes, the Drewry World Container Index (WCI) has risen for four consecutive weeks. This increase continues the recovery trend that began in early December, when freight rates had reached their second-lowest point since January 2025.
Asia-Europe routes showed particularly strong performance this week. Spot rates from Shanghai to Genoa rose 3% to $3,427 per 40-foot container, while rates from Shanghai to Rotterdam increased 2% to $2,584. Rates on this route have remained stable or risen for four consecutive weeks.
Shipping consultancy Drewry noted in its assessment: “Over the past three years, Drewry has recorded double-digit month-on-month growth in December demand every December, with robust year-end cargo volumes becoming the new normal.”
The sustained strength of Asia-Europe shipping routes reflects a fundamental shift in seasonal patterns, with December cargo volumes far exceeding expectations for the traditional holiday shipping cycle. Shipping companies have begun accepting advance bookings for the period leading up to the 2026 Lunar New Year (February), laying the groundwork for further freight rate increases in the coming weeks.
Trans-Pacific shipping rates have stabilized this week following double-digit increases last week. Spot rates for Shanghai to New York and Shanghai to Los Angeles have remained steady after last week’s sharp rebound, currently standing at $3,293 per container for Shanghai to New York and $2,474 for Shanghai to Los Angeles.
Drewry Consulting expects freight rates on transpacific routes to remain stable in the near term, but rates on Asia-Europe routes may see a slight uptick as cargo volumes pile up ahead of the Spring Festival.
The current freight rate environment is in stark contrast to that of two weeks ago, when carriers were struggling to cope with what industry analysts called a “fundamental volume problem”, as most Christmas goods had already been shipped by November. At that time, measures to reduce capacity through “blank sailings” (i.e., canceling voyages) to support freight rates were increasing, but they failed to stem the downward trend in rates.
This rapid reversal underscores the ongoing volatility in the container shipping market—an industry grappling with shifting seasonal patterns, capacity management challenges, and geopolitical turmoil that continues to impact major shipping routes.