Drewry Rate Tape Jump
On 08 Jan 2026, Drewry’s World Container Index (WCI) rose 16% week-on-week to $2,557 per 40ft. In the same weekly update, Drewry flagged sharp increases on key headhaul lanes (including Shanghai–Los Angeles and Shanghai–New York) alongside continued emphasis on blank-sailing discipline as a capacity lever.
| Rate print | Latest level | Week move | Signal meaning | Next watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WCI composite | $2,557 per 40ft container | +16% week-on-week | Broad spot strength across the tape, showing pricing power tightening rather than just a single lane spike. | Whether the next print holds the gain, and if strength spreads beyond the headline lanes. |
| Shanghai → Los Angeles | $3,857 per 40ft | +14% week-on-week | US West Coast headhaul firming, consistent with carriers keeping capacity tight while demand stays workable. | Blank-sailing follow-through, and whether premium surcharges persist or fade after booking windows. |
| Shanghai → New York | $5,169 per 40ft | +12% week-on-week | US East Coast pricing staying elevated, reinforcing that long-haul headhaul is participating in the move. | Any divergence vs USWC that hints at routing, port mix, or inventory timing differences. |
| Read-through lens | What to look for next | What it changes if confirmed | Fast falsifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity discipline | Whether blank sailings or trimmed strings persist across the next 1–2 weekly windows | Rates can hold higher floors longer; charter demand stays supported | Extra loaders reappear and GRIs fail to stick |
| Schedule pressure | Any deterioration or improvement in on-time performance as networks adjust | Inventory timing risk changes, and spot premiums can widen if reliability slips | Reliability improves while rates still rise (suggests stronger demand pull) |
| Equipment balance | Early signs of empty repositioning tightness in key export gateways | Local surcharges and premiums can persist even if headline indices cool | Empty availability normalizes quickly without rate follow-through |
| Forward pricing | Whether forward indications move up with spot, or lag materially | Separates “spike” behavior from a broader reset in price expectations | Spot jumps but forward stays flat (usually means the tape is transient) |
| Lane breadth | Whether gains spread beyond the headline lanes into adjacent corridors | Broader strength tends to last longer and impacts more fleet positioning decisions | Only one corridor moves while others stall or reverse |
Comprehensive Overview ⌄
How to read a rate tape jump
A weekly print like this matters because it compresses a lot of market behavior into one snapshot: carrier pricing posture, ship supply actually offered to the market, and how quickly shippers accept higher numbers in real bookings. The WCI composite moving strongly at the same time as key Transpacific headhaul lanes is a “breadth” cue, not just a one-lane headline.
Where the move usually comes from
Large week-to-week steps tend to be driven by a mix of (1) capacity control (blank sailings, tighter strings, slower speed), (2) pricing mechanics (GRIs sticking, premium tiers gaining share), and (3) timing effects (front-loading, contract resets, short booking windows). A clean way to frame it is: do rates rise because demand surged, or because available slots were deliberately limited.
The key confirmation signal is whether the next one or two weekly prints keep the level, not just the spike.
Shipowner and charter-market read-through
Stronger spot indices can improve liner cash generation and sustain charter appetite, especially if capacity discipline is visible. If the market believes the move is temporary, charter decisions often stay cautious. If the market believes it is durable, fixture durations and optionality can change quickly.
Capacity discipline lens (blank-sailing discipline)
“Discipline” becomes real when it shows up in service reliability decisions: strings trimmed, sailings skipped, and fewer “extra loaders” offered into weaker weeks. In practice, that can support rate levels even when demand is not booming, because the supply offered stays constrained.
Quick Rate Impact Lens (40ft containers)
Use the provided lane prints, or enter your own before and after rates to size the weekly and monthly exposure.
Per-container change
$353
Difference between “now” and “prior”.
Weekly exposure
$35.3k
Containers per week × per-container change.
Sized exposure
$141.2k
Weekly exposure × weeks selected.
Note: the “prior” default is a simple math back-solve from the percentage move and can differ slightly from a published prior-week lane print due to rounding. For strict precision, enter the exact prior-week figure you are using.