Drewry’s Intra-Asia Container Index Remains Steady at $555 per 40ft Container
Drewry’s Intra-Asia Container Index (IACI) remained largely unchanged in the third week of February, settling at $555 per 40ft container. This represents a modest decrease of $2 from the previous week. The IACI, a weighted average of spot rates across 18 major trade routes within Asia, is currently 10% lower compared to the same period last year.
Current Market Conditions and Outlook
Drewry anticipates a continued period of low freight rates in the coming week. However, a rebound is expected following the Chinese New Year holiday, as production activities resume and accumulated backlogs begin to be addressed. Drewry reports that the IACI is updated weekly.
Understanding the Intra-Asia Container Index
The Intra-Asia Container Index (IACI) provides a comprehensive overview of spot container freight rates on key trade routes within Asia. It consists of 18 route-specific indices, each representing an individual shipping route, combined into a composite index. All rates are reported in US dollars per 40ft container. Drewry initially launched the composite IACI as a weighted average of spot container freight rates in September 2024, when it was valued at $668 per 40ft container.
Routes Included in the IACI
Market freight rates are collected for the following routes:
- Busan-Shanghai
- Ho Chi Minh City-Shanghai
- Jakarta-Shanghai
- Jawaharlal Nehru Port-Shanghai
- Kaohsiung-Shanghai
- Laem Chabang-Shanghai
- Shanghai-Busan
- Shanghai-Ho Chi Minh City
- Shanghai-Jakarta
- Shanghai-Jawaharlal Nehru Port
- Shanghai-Jebel Ali
- Shanghai-Kaohsiung
- Shanghai-Laem Chabang
- Shanghai-Manila
- Shanghai-Singapore
- Shanghai-Tanjung Pelepas
- Shanghai-Yokohama
- Yokohama-Shanghai
Recent Trends in Intra-Asia Container Freight Rates
In December 2025, Drewry’s IACI increased by 6% to $667 per 40ft container in the fortnight leading up to November 30, 2025. Drewry noted at the time that the index was 23% lower year-on-year and anticipated an upward trend through January 2026 due to capacity constraints related to the peak season preceding the Lunar New Year.
Accessing Drewry’s Market Trackers and Indices
Interested parties can access free market indices and trackers, including the World Container Index, Cancelled Sailings Tracker, and Intra-Asia Container Index, through Drewry’s website.