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Drewry's Intra-Asia Container Index (IACI) recorded a 1% increase this week, reaching USD 1,323 per 40-foot container and breaking its all-time high for the third consecutive week.
According to the consultant, this indicates that "ongoing geopolitical disruptions and those caused by typhoons continue to have a ripple effect on supply chains and restrict available capacity."
Spot rates from China to Southeast Asia and South Asia showed mixed movements, reflecting route-specific changes in demand, effective capacity, and the network's ability to readjust after disruptions.
This divergence was more evident on the Shanghai-Singapore and Shanghai-Tanjung Pelepas routes, which primarily serve transshipment hubs in similar locations, but whose freight rates moved in opposite directions.
Rates from Shanghai to Singapore fell by 7% to USD 1,779 per 40-foot container, while those from Shanghai to Tanjung Pelepas rose by 6% to USD 1,806.
"The situation in the Middle East continued to deteriorate, keeping rates elevated, while rising freight rates on alternative routes such as the Jawaharlal Nehru port indicate that market conditions remain far from normal," Drewry noted.
"Disruptions caused by storms continued to affect vessel itineraries and increase congestion in Chinese ports," it added.
In week 36, average vessel waiting times reached 64 hours in Shanghai and Ningbo, 43 hours in Shenzhen, and 27 hours in Tianjin.
"China plans to inaugurate the Pinglu Canal on September 15, reducing the navigation distance between its southwestern region and Southeast Asia. The canal connects Nanning with the Gulf of Tonkin, near the border with Vietnam. Drewry expects freight rates to stabilize in the coming weeks," the consultant remarked.
Spot rates, which usually remain stable on Southeast and Northeast Asian trade routes, showed mixed performance this week.
Rates from Busan to Shanghai increased by 4% to USD 119 per 40-foot container, while on the route between Jawaharlal Nehru port and Shanghai, they fell by 12% to USD 84.
"Gemini Cooperation will merge its A04 and A14 services into an improved A14 service, omitting the Shanghai call while enhancing network reliability and service regularity in North China and Southeast Asia," Drewry stated.
"The revised A14 service will launch on September 26, with port calls in Tianjin, Tanjung Pelepas, Singapore, Xiamen, Tianjin, Dalian, and Busan. Drewry expects freight rates to stabilize in the coming weeks," it added.
The Intra-Asian container freight market reached a new record this week, with a year-on-year increase of 117%, driven by weather disruptions.
"High bunker fuel costs and ongoing tensions between the US and Iran add further upward pressure on rates; in the third quarter of 2026, bunker prices in Singapore recorded a nearly 60% year-on-year increase," Drewry detailed.
"Meanwhile, Ocean Network Express announced an increase in its emergency fuel surcharge for regional short-sea routes, rising from USD 38 to USD 60 per TEU starting September 16," it concluded.
