Container rates slip 2% during Golden Week as Drewry WCI hits $4,351

Drewry’s World Container Index (WCI), which tracks the cost of shipping a 40-foot container on eight major routes, fell 2% in its October 8 assessment to $4,351.

On the transpacific, Shanghai–Los Angeles dropped 3% to $7,624 and Shanghai–New York 2% to $10,220. Shanghai–Rotterdam also eased 2% to $3,337, while Shanghai–Genoa held steady. The dip coincides with softer demand during Golden Week, the holiday when many Chinese factories shut down.

For the following week, carriers announced 4 blank sailings on the transpacific, down from 11: more capacity in the market. Drewry expects rates to hold steady in the short term but warns of volatility driven by demand, capacity shifts and geopolitics.