Drewry’s Intra‑Asia Container Index eased by 1% this week to US$1,503 per 40ft box, according to a report carried by reports on 11 October 2026.
The small fall followed six successive weeks of gains in the IACI Composite Index and did not amount to a sharp reversal; Drewry’s latest figures show the composite reading stabilised over the reporting period, with movements described as marginal in this week’s bulletin.
A pause around Golden Week
Activity during the Chinese Golden Week holidays left the index largely unchanged, the report noted, indicating that peak seasonal movements did not push intra‑Asia rates materially higher in the short term. The stability contrasts with the immediate past pattern of weekly increases, suggesting that holiday trading flows and capacity deployment produced only limited upward pressure on freight levels in the reporting window.
The IACI’s modest retreat this week stands in marked contrast to the same week a year earlier, when the index fell by 12%, underscoring a firmer underlying level of intra‑Asia freight compared with 12 months ago. While the headline change this week was small, the year‑on‑year comparison highlights that the market is operating from a different base than in the prior season.
What the figures imply
A one per cent decline to US$1,503 per 40ft should be read as a gentle correction rather than the start of a downtrend, given the run of increases that preceded it and the composite index’s description as stabilised. Market participants tracking short‑haul Asian trades will note that the week’s movement reduced some of the immediate upward momentum but did not erase the gains accumulated over recent weeks.
Drewry’s commentary, as summarised by reports, stops short of forecasting a sustained reversal and instead presents the numbers as evidence of a market that is pausing after a period of strengthening. The combination of a marginal weekly dip, a stabilised composite index and minimal Golden Week impact points to a market in a holding pattern rather than one undergoing rapid change.
In practical terms for shippers and carriers, a US$1,503 benchmark for a 40ft container on intra‑Asia routes is a near‑term reference that reflects recent upward pressure but also the current tempering of rate growth. The week’s data provide a prompt for operators to reassess short‑term capacity and scheduling decisions, while remembering that the index is only one of several indicators they will use to gauge supply and demand within regional trades.
Drewry’s full commentary, as reported on 11 October 2026, sets out the detailed weekly movements that underpin the composite reading and the marginal change to the IACI. Those seeking a deeper breakdown of lane‑by‑lane variations and the drivers behind the week’s modest fall should refer to Drewry’s published notes as the primary source of the data.
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