The final Drewry assessment of October delivered a split verdict for global shippers. The World Container Index fell 3 percent week on week to USD 4,429 per 40ft on 29 October, as transpacific rates gave back ground and the National Retail Federation forecast US ocean import volumes to drop 11 percent month on month in November. Yet the market also crossed a symbolic line: container transits through the Suez Canal reached 62 vessels last week, the highest weekly count of 2026, and Israeli carrier Zim has confirmed a return to the Red Sea. For exporters shipping from China to Bangladesh, Israel, the Middle East and Africa, November planning now hinges on filed rate increases in the westbound trades versus softening demand in the Pacific.
| Benchmark | Latest reading | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drewry WCI composite, 29 Oct | USD 4,429 per 40ft | -3 percent | Drewry |
| Shanghai to Los Angeles, 29 Oct | USD 7,514 per 40ft | -6 percent | Drewry |
| Shanghai to New York, 29 Oct | USD 9,631 per 40ft | -5 percent | Drewry |
| Shanghai to Rotterdam, 29 Oct | USD 3,686 per 40ft | +1 percent | Drewry |
| Shanghai to Genoa, 29 Oct | USD 4,151 per 40ft | Unchanged | Drewry |
| FBX Asia to US East Coast | USD 10,565 per 40ft | +9 percent, 2026 high | Freightos Baltic Index |
| FBX Asia to Mediterranean | USD 4,252 per 40ft | +8 percent | Freightos Baltic Index |
| Ningbo to Chattogram | USD 3,750 per 40HQ | Stable | CCFGroup |
The two east-west corridors diverged sharply this week. On the transpacific, rates from Shanghai to Los Angeles fell 6 percent to USD 7,514 per 40ft and Shanghai to New York slipped 5 percent to USD 9,631, with Drewry expecting further decreases next week as the NRF forecasts US ocean imports down 11 percent in November. Carriers have announced six blank sailings on the trade for next week, up from five.
The Freightos Baltic Index painted a stronger picture through 28 October, with Asia to the US East Coast at USD 10,565 per 40ft, a new high for the year, before daily prices began to recede and forwarders reported cooling demand on the Pacific.
On Asia to Europe, Shanghai to Rotterdam inched up 1 percent to USD 3,686 while Genoa held at USD 4,151. Carriers have filed higher FAK rates for November, but with blank sailings on the trade cut to four next week from eight, effective capacity is growing and Drewry expects rates to hold flat rather than climb, so treat the increases as a negotiation floor rather than a ceiling.
The Red Sea normalization advanced on two fronts. Weekly transits through the Suez Canal rose to 62 container vessels, the highest level of 2026, and Alphaliner estimates that nearly two thirds of total Asia to Europe capacity has now returned to the route. Drewry expects Suez transits to reach 80 percent of pre-diversion levels by February 2027, though added war risk premiums could offset much of the fuel savings.
The headline move concerns Israel. Zim resumed taking the Red Sea route for its joint Asia to US East Coast service with MSC, a striking shift given that the Houthis declared the Bab el-Mandeb Strait closed to Israel-linked vessels as recently as August. The move expands rotation options for China to Israel consignments bound for Haifa and Ashdod.
The contrast in the Gulf remains stark. Only two vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz last week as disruption there continues, and transshipment hubs serving the Middle East are running high yard utilization, keeping Gulf bound rates elevated. Typhoon Champi closed ports and airports in Taiwan on Friday but largely spared East China.
Spot rates from Ningbo to Chattogram stand around USD 3,750 per 40HQ, with Karachi near USD 3,600 and Jakarta near USD 2,000, according to CCFGroup market collection. Vessel activity is recovering after the gate fee dispute that froze landside delivery earlier this month, but Chattogram remains congested, with 31 container ship arrivals in the past seven days and roughly three quarters staying in port for more than 48 hours. In a structural signal, the Chittagong Port Authority has signed a 30 year agreement with Maersk to build and operate the Ladia Container Terminal, adding capacity from 2027 onward.
Air rates out of China climbed last week, with the Freightos Air Index up 4 percent to USD 7.13 per kg to North America and up 12 percent to USD 4.35 per kg to Europe, as data center driven electronics demand stacks on top of seasonal retail volumes. Israel has also tightened aviation security: the National Passenger Targeting Center now requires crew manifests 48 hours before departure for all inbound flights, so air consignments to Tel Aviv should allow extra documentation lead time.
Spider Logistics provides door to door ocean and air freight from China to Bangladesh, Israel, Africa and the Middle East, with customs clearance and tracking. Contact our team for a November rate plan before the FAK window closes.