Container Shipping Rates Drift Lower After a Record-Setting Climb

The steady climb to ever-higher rates for container shipping this year is showing signs of easing, at least temporarily.

On the busy Shanghai-to-Los Angeles trade route, the rate for a 40-foot container sank by almost $1,000 last week to $11,173, an 8.2% drop from the prior week that was the steepest weekly fall since March 2020, according to Drewry. Another gauge from Freightos, which includes premiums and surcharges, showed a nearly 11% plunge to $16,004, the fourth consecutive decline.