Drewry WCI Slips Again as Container Spot Rates Keep Losing Altitude
May 1, 2026
Drewry’s latest World Container Index update for 30 April shows the benchmark falling for a third straight week, down 1% to $2,216 per 40ft container. The decline was driven by softer pricing on Asia-Europe, transpacific, and transatlantic trades. On the main east-west routes, Shanghai-Genoa fell 1% to $3,039, Shanghai-Rotterdam fell 1% to $2,127, Shanghai-New York fell 2% to $3,483, while Shanghai-Los Angeles held flat at $2,930. Drewry said the rate pressure is still coming from excess capacity and low demand, even with bunker costs elevated and geopolitical risk still in the background.
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The benchmark is still easing and the latest move stayed negative across the main east-west lanes
Drewry’s latest weekly assessment shows the World Container Index slipping again to $2,216 per 40ft container, extending the recent softening streak to three consecutive weeks. The direction was not dramatic, but it was broad enough to confirm that the market is still under pressure rather than stabilizing on a stronger floor. Asia-Europe weakened again, Shanghai-New York lost ground, and Shanghai-Los Angeles was only able to hold flat rather than rebound. The latest reading leaves the market still dealing with falling spot prices even though fuel costs and geopolitical risks remain elevated in the background.
Latest WCI
$2,216
Drewry’s World Container Index fell 1% in the latest weekly update.
Shanghai-Genoa
$3,039
The Shanghai-Genoa leg fell 1% in the latest assessment.
Shanghai-Rotterdam
$2,127
The Shanghai-Rotterdam leg also fell 1% week on week.
Shanghai-New York
$3,483
The Shanghai-New York route declined 2% in Drewry’s latest reading.
Rate & Capacity
The most immediate takeaway is that spot pricing is still drifting lower even with geopolitical noise and higher fuel costs in the system.
Asia-Europe keeps softening while the transpacific picture is splitting between rate pressure and surcharge activity
A closer look at the latest lane moves, May capacity adjustments, and why spot weakness is still winning against geopolitical support
Shanghai-Los Angeles
$2,930
The Asia-US West Coast lane held flat in the latest Drewry reading.
Asia-North Europe capacity
-3%
Drewry expects effective May capacity to decline 3% month on month on Asia-North Europe.
Asia-Med capacity
-10%
Effective capacity is expected to decline 10% month on month on Asia-Med in May.
Blank sailings next week
43
Drewry’s latest cancelled sailings tracker shows 43 blank sailings expected over the next five weeks from 689 departures.
| Trade lane | Latest marker | Immediate read | Capacity signal | Commercial consequence | Next checkpoint |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Container Index | Drewry’s benchmark eased 1% to $2,216 per 40ft. Third weekly decline | The benchmark is still sliding rather than stabilizing. | Overall pressure remains tied to too much vessel supply and not enough demand support. | The market keeps leaning in the shipper-friendly direction on spot pricing. | Watch whether next week’s reading can hold flat or extends the losing streak. |
| Shanghai-Genoa | Latest rate: $3,039 per 40ft. Down 1% | Asia-Med remains soft despite carrier efforts to restrict space. | Drewry expects Asia-Med effective capacity to fall 10% month on month in May. | Carriers are still trying to support pricing by taking capacity out, but spot rates have not yet turned higher. | Watch whether May blank sailings translate into a firmer Genoa reading. |
| Shanghai-Rotterdam | Latest rate: $2,127 per 40ft. Down 1% | Asia-North Europe is still softening, though less sharply than earlier in April. | Drewry expects Asia-North Europe effective capacity to decline 3% month on month in May. | Carriers are trimming supply, but demand is not yet strong enough to reverse the price direction. | Watch whether Rotterdam can stabilize before slipping below the current level again. |
| Shanghai-New York | Latest rate: $3,483 per 40ft. Down 2% | Asia-US East Coast pricing softened even as carriers moved ahead with new fuel and peak season surcharges. | Drewry expects Asia-ECNA effective capacity to rise 11% month on month in May. | More capacity plus uneven demand is capping spot strength, even with surcharge announcements entering the market. | Watch whether surcharge implementation holds or gets diluted by weak spot fundamentals. |
| Shanghai-Los Angeles | Latest rate: $2,930 per 40ft. Flat week on week | Asia-US West Coast held steady, but did not show enough strength to pull the benchmark upward. | Drewry expects Asia-WCNA effective capacity to rise 6% month on month in May. | Additional capacity makes it harder for West Coast pricing to rally unless demand improves materially. | Watch whether flat turns into downside once May capacity hits fully. |
| Carrier management | Drewry’s latest tracker shows 43 blank sailings from 689 departures over the next five weeks. Capacity still being managed | Carriers are still actively using blank sailings to resist further rate erosion. | The market is not in free fall, but it is clearly soft enough that supply discipline is still necessary. | Rate direction in May will depend on whether those blank sailings can offset weak demand and incoming capacity. | Watch the next WCI and cancelled sailings update together rather than in isolation. |
Rate & Capacity
The strongest pattern right now is that carriers are still trying to manage space tighter on Asia-Europe while more capacity is heading into the transpacific, leaving the benchmark under pressure even as individual surcharges rise.
WCI Spot Pressure Monitor
A cleaner single-column version built for tighter page widths, still interactive, and easier to fit inside your post layout.
A benchmark can move only slightly and still send a clear signal if capacity and demand are leaning the wrong way underneath it. This tool translates the current World Container Index setup into a simple pressure score using benchmark direction, Asia-Europe spot tone, transpacific capacity, blank sailings, demand, and risk premium support.
Build the market profile
Pressure Score
76
High downward pressure. Spot rates still look more exposed to soft demand and excess capacity than supported by risk premiums.
Market posture
Soft
The current setup still favors continued benchmark weakness more than a sharp rebound.
Best read
Capacity-led
Too much space and not enough demand remain the main forces shaping spot levels.
Main risk
May
May capacity changes will decide whether the benchmark merely drifts or breaks lower again.
Closest live comparison
30 Apr WCI
Your settings match the present Drewry picture of soft Asia-Europe rates and rising transpacific capacity.
Market Read
Current settings point to a soft spot-rate environment. The latest benchmark decline matters less as a headline number than as confirmation that demand and capacity still are not lining up in a way that supports higher pricing.
Score bands
0 to 35
Low pressure. The market would look close to stabilization or modest recovery.
36 to 60
Moderate pressure. Spot rates would still be soft, though with better odds of holding.
61 to 80
High pressure. The market would still look vulnerable to additional rate erosion.
81 to 100
Severe pressure. Benchmark weakness would look likely to deepen quickly.
Current market read
The current WCI setting sits in the high-pressure band because the benchmark is falling, Asia-Europe remains soft, and more capacity is heading into the transpacific even as demand stays weak.
Directional commercial tool only. It is designed to translate the latest Drewry WCI picture into a spot-pressure score, not to forecast exact next-week prices.
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