According to Drewry World Container Index, container freight rates from Asia to the leading consumer markets in Europe and North America continue to decline and are already lower than a year ago.
Container freight rates from China to the Mediterranean Sea ports have decreased by 2.3% compared to the last year (Shanghai to Genoa indicative route), while container freight rates to the Northern Europe ports have dropped by 19.8% (Shanghai to Rotterdam indicative route).
It is remarkable that the cost of shipping a 40ft container to the Mediterranean Sea ports is higher than to the North Sea ports by about $1.5 thousand at the moment (25th calendar week). Generally, container freight rates to the Northern Europe ports have always been higher due to the largest transshipment hubs located here.