Drewry’s World Container Index (WCI) recorded its fourth consecutive weekly decline in the assessment released last week, reflecting continued weakness across major global trade lanes. The downward trend was mainly driven by softer freight rates on the Transpacific and Asia-Europe routes.

Shipping demand from Shanghai to key U.S. destinations weakened further, signaling a notable market shift as the usual pre-Lunar New Year cargo rush failed to materialize this year. The absence of seasonal demand growth contributed to subdued market conditions ahead of factory closures.

In response, carriers intensified capacity management efforts, announcing a significantly higher number of blank sailings over the coming three weeks compared with previous years, according to Drewry’s Container Capacity Insight.

Asia-Europe trade lanes also continued to see declining spot rate trends for a fourth straight week. Carriers have scheduled additional blank sailings ahead of Lunar New Year closures amid heightened market volatility. Drewry expects the downward trend in spot rates to persist in the near term.