Drewry’s Intra‑Asia Container Index fell 3% last week to $1,453 per 40ft container, according to a dispatch reported on 18 October 2026.
The movement reflected a wider softening in short‑haul freight rates within the region, with the index decline driven by easing congestion at a number of key terminals. The report singled out lower rates on lanes from Shanghai to Busan, Ho Chi Minh City and Jawaharlal Nehru Port as contributors to the weekly fall.
Rate movement and numbers
Drewry’s Intra‑Asia Container Index (IACI), a widely referenced benchmark for intra‑regional box movements, eased 3% to register $1,453 per 40ft container for the week. The published figure is a straight weekly comparison and reflects freight reductions across several individual trades rather than an isolated change on a single lane.
Port congestion improving
Sources indicated that congestion relief at the ports of discharge was a material factor behind the rate falls, with Shanghai departures to Busan, Ho Chi Minh City and Jawaharlal Nehru Port cited specifically. As berthing and turnaround pressures abated at those destinations, carriers and forwarders recorded downward pressure on short‑haul spot rates for the reported week.
The update does not offer a comprehensive breakdown of every intra‑Asia corridor, but it highlights how local terminal conditions can quickly influence benchmark readings such as the IACI. Intra‑regional indices remain sensitive to port operational performance and weekly shifts in vessel availability.
Market participants tracking the IACI will note the single‑week percentage change and the headline $1,453 level as a snapshot of market direction for the period covered by the report from reports. Drewry’s index readings continue to be used by shippers and logistics managers as one indicator among several when assessing short‑haul container cost movements.
The weekly report underlines the continued linkage between port operational conditions and freight pricing on intra‑Asian routes, and the IACI movement for the week to 18 October 2026 will be recorded by analysts monitoring short‑term market volatility.
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