**Verified facts**
Drewry’s World Container Index (WCI) increased 1% in the assessment published on 13 August 2026, reaching US$4,339 per 40ft container. Drewry attributed the rise to higher Transpacific freight rates. The movement followed a period of more mixed rate direction across the main East–West trades and indicates that Transpacific pricing is again providing support to the composite benchmark.
On 14 August, Drewry reported that carriers expect to cancel 49 sailings across the principal East–West trades between week 34 (17–23 August) and week 38 (14–20 September). That represents 7% of scheduled departures. The Transpacific eastbound trade accounts for the largest share of the planned omissions, at 47%; Asia–North Europe and Mediterranean accounts for 31%, and Transatlantic westbound for 22%.
Drewry also reported that its Intra-Asia Container Index rose 6% in the same week to US$1,028 per 40ft container, a six-week high. This is a separate benchmark, but it adds evidence that carriers are seeking to manage available capacity and defend returns beyond the long-haul trades.
**Analysis**
The 1% gain in the WCI is modest and should not by itself be read as a broad-based market rally. Its importance lies in the accompanying supply actions: blank sailings remove scheduled capacity, but their commercial effect depends on whether cargo demand materialises, vessels sail full, and omitted calls create equipment or connection imbalances. The concentration of cancellations on Transpacific eastbound services is consistent with carriers attempting to protect a rate-sensitive trade where spot pricing has become the main driver of the WCI’s latest increase.
For cargo interests, the immediate risk is less a universal shortage of slots than reduced schedule resilience. A blanked voyage can shift bookings to adjacent departures, add transhipment pressure and create missed cut-offs, particularly for time-defined retail, project and refrigerated cargoes. For operators and ship managers, service changes can alter port sequences, bunker planning, stores delivery windows, crew-change arrangements and the timing of class, repair or survey attendance.
**Why this matters**
Charterers and cargo owners should validate space commitments, rolling-cargo clauses, equipment release plans and contingency routings before September allocations are fixed. Owners, managers, P&I interests and marine surveyors should ensure that any revised rotation is promptly reflected in passage plans, cargo documentation, terminal instructions and communications with interested parties. Where delay, cargo deterioration, connection failure or additional handling is possible, contemporaneous records of notices, revised ETAs, condition checks and cargo handovers will be important for reducing later claims uncertainty.
Technology supported research and drafting. TWS retains editorial responsibility for the published content and cited sources.
Need operational support?
