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Drewry’s World Container Index has inched up for a second week, rising about 2 percent to 1,957 dollars per 40 foot box as stronger Asia Europe spot rates offset renewed weakness on the Transpacific. Shanghai to Genoa and Shanghai to Rotterdam both posted solid gains, while Shanghai to Los Angeles and Shanghai to New York slipped again as post holiday demand fades and blank sailings struggle to hold the line. The result is a split market where Asia Europe looks tighter and more supportive for carriers and owners, while Transpacific trades feel softer heading into 2026.
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Container index move in 30 seconds
Drewry’s World Container Index has risen for a second week to just under two thousand dollars per forty foot box, but the lift is driven mainly by firmer Asia–Europe spot rates while core Transpacific lanes soften again. Shanghai to Genoa and Rotterdam are edging higher on early Lunar New Year cargo and selective GRIs, whereas Shanghai to Los Angeles and New York are giving back part of their recent rebound as demand thins.
Network snapshot
Asia–Europe looks tighter, with healthier load factors and rising benchmarks into North Europe and the Med. Transpacific trades are in the opposite phase, with more available space and rate pressure despite blank sailings.
Impact on carriers and owners
The split supports earnings on services tied to Europe and encourages liners to steer modern tonnage toward those strings. Ships locked into weaker Transpacific loops face more pressure on charter terms and utilisation.
Impact on cargo interests
European importers see stronger freight and tighter free time as peak flows build again, while many North American shippers move into a softer, more negotiable spot backdrop with scope for shorter and more flexible deals.
Bottom line: the composite index is creeping up, but for shipowners and cargo interests the real story is the widening gap between firmer Asia–Europe rates and softening Transpacific trades that will shape deployment and pricing into early 2026.
Asia Europe rebound lifts Drewry index while Transpacific gives back ground
Item
Summary
Business mechanics
Bottom line effect
Headline move in WCI
Drewry’s composite World Container Index rose about 2% this week to roughly US$1,957 per 40 foot box, its second weekly gain in a row.
The index averages several key trades, so higher Asia Europe rates outweighed renewed declines on core Transpacific headhaul routes.
📈 Slight support for carrier earnings and boxship demand, 📉 but the level still sits far below boom year peaks so pricing power remains limited.
Asia Europe spot rates
Shanghai to Genoa jumped around 13% to about US$3,004 per FEU and Shanghai to Rotterdam rose about 5% to roughly US$2,361, marking a fourth week of gains or stability.
Stronger year end demand into Europe, early Lunar New Year cargo and carrier freight all kinds hikes are tightening space on key Asia Europe strings.
📈 Better spot revenue and stronger negotiating hand for carriers and owners on European services, 📉 but importers face higher landed cost and tighter free time.
Transpacific headhaul slide
Shanghai to Los Angeles fell about 7% to roughly US$2,103 and Shanghai to New York dropped about 5% to about US$2,756 after a short rebound the previous week.
With most Christmas and inventory restocking already shipped, volumes are too thin for carriers to hold recent increases even with more blank sailings announced.
📉 Pressure on Transpacific margins and charter demand for some mid size tonnage, 📈 but lower freights relieve short term cost for cargo owners with spot exposure.
Blank sailings and capacity control
Drewry counts at least a dozen Transpacific sailings already cancelled for the coming week as carriers try to slow the rate decline.
Pulling voyages and reshuffling loops trims slot supply and can lift load factors, but weak demand limits how far this tool can support prices.
📈 Better capacity discipline can stabilise yields for efficient operators, 📉 but reliability suffers as schedules change and some ports see reduced calls.
Seasonal demand pattern
For three years December volumes into Europe have shown double digit monthly growth and 2025 is tracking the same pattern ahead of Lunar New Year 2026.
Earlier and stronger pre holiday and pre Lunar New Year bookings shift some peak demand into December, tightening ship and box supply into North Europe and Med gateways.
📈 Supports premium services and surcharges on Asia Europe corridors, 📉 while leaving other trades exposed to more frequent price swings when demand fades.
Contract talks for 2026
Index levels and lane divergence set the backdrop for 2026 long term contracts with beneficial cargo owners and forwarders.
Carriers will point to firmer Asia Europe benchmarks and volatile Transpacific trends to defend floors and trigger clauses on bunker and diversion when needed.
📈 Stronger lanes may lock in higher base rates for contracted volumes, 📉 while weaker lanes encourage shorter terms and more spot or index linked deals.
Network and equipment balance
Carriers are likely to prioritise vessel and box deployment toward Asia Europe where yield is improving and away from the weakest Transpacific sailings.
Rotating ships between trades and tweaking string designs shifts capacity and can change port call frequency and feeder demand at key hubs.
📈 Feeder and terminal operators on Asia Europe corridors can benefit from higher volumes, 📉 while ports tied mainly to softer lanes may see thinner call lists.
Owner and charter market read
The split market feeds into charter demand, with larger and mid size ships serving Asia Europe and related trades better positioned than units tied mainly to soft Transpacific loops.
Higher utilisation on stronger trades allows liners to keep more tonnage on period cover and to be selective on extensions, while sub charter demand on weak lanes can fade quickly.
📈 Owners with flexible, fuel efficient ships on Asia Europe linked routes gain leverage on duration and rates, 📉 while older or less efficient units may face idle time or lower offers.
Notes: Rate levels and percentage changes reflect Drewry World Container Index data and related reporting for the week ending 11 December 2025. Figures are rounded for clarity and can change week to week as new assessments are published.
Asia–Europe vs Transpacific: same index, different stories
The headline index is edging higher, but the move is being driven by firmer Asia–Europe spot levels while core Transpacific lanes give back recent gains.
That split matters for where tonnage is deployed and how 2026 contract talks line up by trade.
Asia–Europe snapshotTighter
Spot from Shanghai to North Europe and Med is moving up, with Shanghai to Genoa now around 3,000 USD per FEU and Shanghai to Rotterdam above 2,300 USD.
Early Lunar New Year cargo and targeted GRIs are helping push load factors up on mainline strings.
Transpacific snapshotSofter
Shanghai to Los Angeles and Shanghai to New York have slipped again after a short bounce, with rates drifting lower as peak season passes and blank sailings
only partly offset weaker bookings into the US West and East coasts.
Rate direction next few weeks
Asia–Europe has enough momentum and seasonality to stay firm if carriers keep capacity in check.
Short term bias: up to sideways
Transpacific headhaul trend
With most festive and restocking cargo already moved, Transpacific spot looks more exposed to further discounting when extra space appears.
Short term bias: sideways to down
For carriers and shipowners
Asia–Europe strength supports utilisation and period demand for fuel efficient mainline tonnage and helps underpin the composite index.
Transpacific softness reduces earnings on some loops and can leave older, less flexible ships at risk of shorter cover or idle days.
For cargo owners and forwarders
Weaker Transpacific rates give some importers room to trim landed cost or test shorter term contracts tied to spot benchmarks.
Firmer Asia–Europe spot, more GRIs and selective blank sailings lift cost and keep schedule risk in play for shippers moving time sensitive cargo to Europe.
Snapshot view based on the latest Drewry World Container Index readings covering Shanghai to Europe and Transpacific routes, combined with current carrier blank sailing and demand commentary as of mid December 2025.
The latest World Container Index update underlines a market that is moving in two directions at once, with Asia–Europe spot gains doing most of the work to lift the composite figure while Transpacific headhaul lanes soften again after a brief rally. For carriers and shipowners the split shapes where ships and boxes are positioned into early 2026, and for cargo interests it means higher rate pressure on Europe-bound flows but a more negotiable backdrop on core Far East to North America services.
