The costs of container transport by sea continue to decrease, with a decline that is now affecting all the main global routes. The latest update of the Drawry Container Index shows a decrease of 13% in the last week for the composite index, for an average value of spot freight for shipping a 40-foot box of $4,168.

The decline markedly affects export routes from China. On the Shanghai - Genoa route, after the 12% collapse last week, a new decrease of 10% was recorded, with fares equal to 5,256 dollars, still 210% higher than those of a year ago. The decline in freight rates on the Shanghai - Rotterdam route is even more severe (-17%), which therefore return to levels lower than those towards the Mediterranean at 5,152 dollars.

The most marked decline, however, is that observed for exports from the Chinese port to New York (-21%), where rates fell by 1,790 dollars to 6,661 dollars in the space of seven days. In the direction of Los Angeles the decrease is less profound (-7%), but still impactful (around 400 dollars) for a final value of 5,627 dollars.