Container spot rates in early October 2026: WCI at US$4,434 as Asia-Europe falls for 12th week

Spot container rates out of China were broadly flat to lower going into China's National Day holiday, known as Golden Week, which runs in the first week of October. This is an update to our earlier post on September rates.

Drewry World Container Index (WCI). In its assessment of Thursday 1 October 2026, Drewry said the composite WCI fell 1% to US$4,434 per 40ft container, mainly because of lower Asia-Europe rates. The lanes moved as follows:

• Shanghai to Rotterdam: down 2% to US$3,399
• Shanghai to Genoa: down 3% to US$3,702
• Shanghai to Los Angeles: stable at US$7,835
• Shanghai to New York: up 1% to US$10,428

The Daily Cargo News, reporting Drewry's update, said Asia-Europe spot rates have now declined for 12 consecutive weeks, reflecting weak demand, and that rising Suez Canal transits are adding effective capacity. Suez transits in Week 39 were 68% higher than in the same week last year. Drewry expected both the transpacific and Asia-Europe rates to fall again in the holiday week.

SCFI. Container News reported on 5 October that the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index declined 0.66% to 3,662.30 points from 3,686.62 in the previous reading. The China Containerized Freight Index (CCFI) rose about 0.3% to 1,923.93 points. No new Ningbo index reading was published because of the holiday.

Xeneta. Xeneta's market averages for 1 October put Far East to North Europe at US$3,726 per FEU (down 2.1% on the week) and Far East to the Mediterranean at US$4,105 (down 4.6%). Far East to the US West Coast rose 1.4% to US$8,346 and to the US East Coast 0.7% to US$11,523. Xeneta chief analyst Peter Sand said the US-bound market "has reached its post-Hormuz crisis peak in 2026", but that rates will not collapse, so shippers should expect elevated costs for the rest of the year.

Blank sailings and rate increases. Drewry's Cancelled Sailings Tracker of 2 October counted 39 blank sailings out of 710 scheduled voyages between Week 41 (5 to 11 October) and Week 45 (2 to 8 November), or 5%. About 49% of these are on the transpacific, 33% on Asia-North Europe and Mediterranean, and 18% on the transatlantic. Sea-Intelligence told The Loadstar that "the level of blank sailings is quite low" right now. Forwarders told The Loadstar that FAK rates were cut for the first half of October, with increases of around US$1,000 per 40ft planned for the second half. Drewry said it is uncertain whether these late October increases will stick.

These are China-origin benchmarks, not Colombo quotes, but they show the direction of the market that Sri Lankan cargo moves in.

• Europe-bound exporters are seeing the softest market of the year so far. Twelve weeks of falling Asia-Europe rates and more ships returning to the Suez route point to more space and more room to negotiate.
• US-bound exporters, such as apparel shippers, still face the highest rates. Shanghai to New York is above US$10,000 per 40ft, and Xeneta's own forecast sees a correction over the next three months, not a collapse.
• The late October increases are a test. With only 5% of sailings blanked and more Suez capacity on Asia-Europe, carriers may struggle to make FAK rises hold. That is a forecast, not a certainty, and surcharges can still move independently of base rates.

1. Get quotes for both halves of October. Ask your forwarder for the rate valid for sailings before and after the planned mid-month increase, and compare the all-in cost including surcharges.
2. Check validity dates. Short validity can expose you to the late October FAK changes.
3. Watch the weekly indices. Drewry publishes the WCI every Thursday. A failure of the late October increases would show up there first.
4. Confirm your vessel. Ask whether your booked sailing is on a blanked voyage and what the replacement is.
5. Plan US cargo early. Space on transpacific lanes may stay firmer because fewer sailings are being cancelled there.

For space and equipment issues, see our earlier post on vessel space. To compare forwarders, visit the community.