Container spot rates fall for a third straight week as Drewry's index drops 3 percent to $4,255

Drewry's World Container Index (WCI) fell 3 percent to $4,255 per 40-foot container in the week to Thursday, 30 July 2026, a third consecutive weekly decline. Drewry attributed the retreat on major east-west trade lanes primarily to weakening demand and the end of the front-loading surge.

On the Transpacific, Shanghai to Los Angeles rates slipped 2 percent to $5,739 per 40-foot container, while Shanghai to New York was unchanged at $7,578. On Asia to Europe, Shanghai to Genoa fell 6 percent to $5,630 and Shanghai to Rotterdam declined 3 percent to $4,677. According to Drewry, carriers are managing capacity through blank sailings: eight are scheduled on the Transpacific next week against seven this week, and three on the Europe lane against four this week.

The retreat comes after the same index reached $4,639 on 9 July 2026, its highest level since September 2024. Drewry says the east-west market is under pressure from softer demand following the implementation of new US tariff measures, while escalating regional tensions in West Asia have prompted several carriers to introduce emergency fuel surcharges from August. For Iran's economy, whose import costs track global freight rates, the two forces pull in opposite directions.