Drewry’s Intra‑Asia Container Index edged up 2% last week to $1,518 per 40ft container, with the index’s composite measure marking a sixth successive week of record highs, sources indicated on 4 October 2026.
The latest figure, a 2% rise on the previous week, was recorded in material published by reports summarising Drewry’s data, which showed the IACI at $1,518 per 40ft container. The composite element of the index reached an all‑time high for the sixth consecutive week, a run that the report underlined as exceptional in the short run of Drewry’s weekly assessments.
Drewry attributed the upward movement principally to weather and port conditions that tightened effective capacity in intra‑Asian trades. Typhoon disruption and port congestion were cited as key factors that reduced the supply of available sailings and berthing slots, intensifying pressure on the market.
Drivers of the rise
The report noted that disruptions from typhoons had an immediate effect on sailing schedules and the flow of equipment, while port congestion prolonged vessel dwell times and constrained throughput; together these dynamics contributed to an environment in which available capacity was tightened. Drewry’s summary linked those physical constraints directly to the recent increases recorded in the index, emphasising the combined role of meteorological and operational bottlenecks.
Carrier responses and cost pressures
Carriers responded to the tighter conditions by employing blank sailings and omitting ports from rotations, actions that reduced deployed capacity and helped to rebalance supply with demand, according to the summary published by reports. The report also recorded that higher operating costs added to the upwards pressure noted by Drewry, a factor presented alongside scheduling and congestion issues as part of the explanation for the index’s continued ascent.
The sixth straight week of record composite highs underlined a sustained period of constrained capacity within intra‑Asia services, as reported. Drewry’s weekly reading framed the trend as driven by the interaction of disruption, congestion and deliberate capacity management by carriers, rather than by a single isolated cause.
The information comes from reports’s account of Drewry’s weekly IACI release dated 4 October 2026, which set out the percentage change, the dollar level per 40ft box and the market factors that Drewry identified as underpinning the movement in the index. The continued run of record readings will be watched closely by shippers and carriers operating within intra‑Asian trades as the season progresses.
Editor profile