A composite index is context; the relevant lane and a current written quote are the decision inputs.
The benchmark is a dated reference point. The procurement decision still needs a service-equivalent offer with a validity period, sailing and clearly stated inclusions.
What happened?
Drewry’s October 22 World Container Index assessment rose 2% to $4,585 per 40-foot container, its second weekly increase and the highest level in 15 weeks. This is a dated composite benchmark, not an executable price for every origin, destination or shipper.
In the same assessment, Shanghai–Los Angeles was $8,007, up 2%; Shanghai–New York was $10,166, up 1%; Shanghai–Rotterdam was $3,632, up 3%; and Shanghai–Genoa was $4,152, up 5%. All values are U.S. dollars per 40-foot container.
Source-checked on 24 October 2026 using the cited reporting and available primary evidence. Source publication dates are not relabeled as new developments today. Figures remain attributed rather than independently audited.
Who is exposed?
Ocean procurement teams can use the reported lanes to frame questions for forwarders and carriers. A different port pair, equipment specification, contract formula or service scope may not be comparable. The published index does not establish available space, an accepted booking or the all-in cost of your own shipment.
Turn the benchmark into a procurement question
First select the closest relevant lane, equipment basis and observation date. Then compare it with a current written offer for your shipment. Ask what is included, what is excluded, how long the offer remains valid and which sailing the quote assumes. A composite index is not a substitute for those details.
Keep spot-market monitoring separate from contract evaluation. If a contract references an index, use the actual named series, adjustment period and contractual formula. Do not substitute the global headline for a lane-specific mechanism simply because both are described as container rates.
What could this mean for my costs?
The calculator compares two entered amounts on the same container basis. It does not predict the next assessment or assign a global index change to your contracted rate.
A dated reference point, not a forecast
Treat the assessment as a dated snapshot with units and source attribution. The figures above are separate observations, not a continuous historical series. A weekly percentage belongs to its specific route; it should not be extended into an unsupported future path.
For planning, a reader can enter a hypothetical per-container change and a container count. For example, an assumed $200 change across 20 containers is $4,000 before other costs. That is sensitivity arithmetic, not a prediction derived from the index or a claim that a forwarder will honor that price.
What to do before the next booking
Request comparable offers for the same shipment requirements and capture their validity dates. Record whether schedule flexibility changes the offer, but assess the inventory and service consequences before delaying cargo. Saving on a quoted ocean leg is not the same as reducing total landed cost.
The next assessment and actual booking offers will provide new evidence. Until then, the useful conclusion is that the published benchmarks moved upward unevenly—not that every shipper faces an identical increase or that the same direction is assured next week.
A transparent cost sensitivity
| Entered comparison per 40-ft | Booking-set transport | Difference from $3,000 basis |
|---|---|---|
| $2,800 assumed comparison | $56,000 | −$4,000 |
| $3,000 assumed comparison | $60,000 | $0 |
| $3,200 assumed comparison | $64,000 | +$4,000 |
Illustrative shipment inputs and conditional eligibility only. Not a live quote, universal invoice adjustment, tax determination or forecast.
Do not turn a one-week benchmark move into a forecast. Your local shipping profile can supply compatible inputs. It does not prove the event affects your operation, and it never changes the source facts. Incompatible modes keep separate examples.
What should I watch?
- Next dated index assessment
- Booking validity and inclusions
- Actual lane capacity and sailing offers
Bring these questions to your next review.
- Select the matching route, equipment basis and observation date.
- Obtain current written quotes with consistent inclusions and validity periods.
- Assess sailing reliability and inventory consequences before changing timing.
A composite index is context; the relevant lane and a current written quote are the decision inputs. Keep reported observations, your own contract evidence and hypothetical inputs separate.
What changed in this coverage?
Source checked: 24 Oct 2026. This is a recorded research snapshot, not continuous monitoring. Reporting, editorial updates and hypothetical assumptions are distinct.
- SOURCE PUBLICATION
Latest cited source date; observation periods and source-specific effective dates are stated in the article.
- SOURCE CHECK / SCS ANALYSIS
Added source-checked reporting, original operating context and a separate cost sensitivity. No event-linked price forecast or automated publication receipt is claimed.
Source-deployed article in this reader collection. This record is not a D1 editorial approval or an automated daily intake receipt. Later owner-released corrections or retractions take precedence at this URL.
FOLLOW THE CONNECTED COVERAGE ↗Sources & provenance.
- Drewry: World Container Index assessment, October 22 ↗2026-10-22 · source checked 24 October 2026 · Dated source evidence. See the article for the scope of the claim; this is not a live rate feed.
Article update. Initial source-checked article for the 24 October 2026 Pacific edition. Original operating analysis and hypothetical arithmetic are separated from dated reporting.
Research edition: 24 Oct 2026 Pacific. First published: 24 Oct 2026. Last modified: 24 Oct 2026. Source periods and access limits appear above. Research-checked and source-deployed at the owner’s request. A separate human editorial review has not been recorded. This is not an automated publishing or D1 approval receipt. Reported figures are attributed to the source, not independently audited. External links open the original source; availability may vary.
