Journal · · 1 min read
Asia-Europe rates rise for a second straight week — Drewry index hits 15-week high
According to Drewry (assessment as of October 22, 2026, republished by Container News and others on October 27), the World Container Index rose 2% to $4,585 per 40ft container — a second straight increase and a 15-week high. On the Asia-Europe trade, the Shanghai-Rotterdam rate rose 3% to $3,632, and Shanghai-Genoa rose 5% to $4,152. Meanwhile the Freightos Baltic Index (FBX) rose 5% to $3,560, while the China Containerized Freight Index (CCFI) fell 2.41% to 1,876.27 points — the Chinese benchmark is moving in the opposite direction from the Western indexes. Drewry attributes the Asia-Europe rise to more blank sailings — eight scheduled for next week versus two this week — pointing to carrier capacity management rather than a demand surge.
According to Drewry (assessment as of October 22, 2026, independently confirmed by Container News, The DCN and Yihang Shipping on October 27), the World Container Index rose 2% to $4,585 per 40ft container — a second straight weekly increase and a 15-week high. On the Asia-Europe lane, which matters most to our readers, the rise was sharper: the Shanghai-Rotterdam rate climbed 3% to $3,632 per 40ft container, and Shanghai-Genoa rose 5% to $4,152.
The Freightos Baltic Index (FBX) rose 5% over the same period to $3,560 — broadly in line with Drewry's trend. The China Containerized Freight Index (CCFI), however, is moving the other way: as of October 23 it fell 2.41%, to 1,876.27 points from 1,922.64 a week earlier. The divergence between the Western and Chinese benchmarks is part of a broader pattern — different exchanges assess different baskets of routes and shipper types, and right now their readings have split.
Drewry attributes the Asia-Europe rise not to a demand surge but to capacity management: carriers have announced eight blank sailings — cancelled port calls — for next week, up from two this week. For forwarders and shippers, that's a signal the rate increase is engineered and could reverse if carriers put the capacity back on the line. On the transpacific, by comparison, Drewry logs a more modest move — Shanghai-Los Angeles rose 2% to $8,007, Shanghai-New York rose 1% to $10,166 — and expects stability there amid strong US import demand.
Source: Drewry (assessment as of October 22, 2026), via Container News, October 27, 2026 — https://container-news.com/container-freight-rates-diverge-as-global-benchmarks-rise-and-asian-indexes-weaken/; The DCN, October 22, 2026 — https://www.thedcn.com.au/news/world-container-index-22-october-2026
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