Overall
This week, the Drewry composite index increased by 2%. Freight rates between various ports have shown diversity; rates from Rotterdam to New York decreased 2%. Rates from Shanghai to Los Angeles and Shanghai to New York declined by 1%. Drewry expects spot rates to decrease slightly in the coming week due to the increase in capacity.

Ocean – TPEB
Demand has softened due to the Lunar New Year holiday, exerting downward pressure on rates. The Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) has now declined for the third consecutive week, reflecting the impact of reduced bookings. No immediate rate adjustments are expected over the next one to two weeks, as China remains on holiday. However, short-term rate fluctuations are anticipated in early February, following a trend similar to Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) cycles.
To maintain vessel utilization and avoid underfilled departures, carriers have implemented roll pools at major origin ports, resulting in expected rollovers over the next two weeks. Despite this, no equipment shortages have been reported at origin, keeping overall operations stable.
Ocean – FEWB
Carriers have announced void sailings before and after the Chinese New Year period to adjust to slower demand, leading to roll pools accumulating at major loading ports. As a result, some shipments are expected to be rolled over in the next two weeks.
With new alliance services set to fully launch in February, further updates regarding service reliability and network adjustments will follow. Occasional equipment shortages are occurring at origin points due to blank sailings and vessel delays, but the impact remains manageable.
To mitigate the risk of missed cargo loading, shippers are advised to print Equipment Interchange Receipts (EIRs) in a timely manner and schedule earlier equipment pickups.
Ocean – TAWB
New alliance services will roll out in February, bringing adjustments to overall network operations. The frequency of blank sailings in Northern Europe has decreased, though some blank sailings persist, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Carriers have reported slight increases in available space on routes to both the U.S. East and West Coasts, easing some of the recent capacity constraints. However, equipment shortages remain a challenge in parts of Central Europe, particularly Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and southern Germany. To improve monitoring and availability, carriers recommend utilizing carrier haulage services where possible.
This update reflects the evolving shipping landscape as Lunar New Year disrupts normal flows and carriers adjust networks ahead of the alliance transitions in February.