News reports quote container rates almost daily — "USD 8,322 per FEU to the West Coast". Those numbers come from indexes. Understanding them helps you judge whether a quote is fair.
The main indexes
| Index | Publisher | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| FBX | Freightos | Spot rates on major lanes, e.g. China/East Asia – US West Coast, per 40' (FEU) |
| WCI | Drewry | Weekly spot rates on eight major routes |
| SCFI | Shanghai Shipping Exchange | Spot rates from Shanghai to many destinations |
| XSI | Xeneta | Contract and spot benchmarks from crowd-sourced data |
Why your quote is different
- Origin: most indexes are China-based; rates from Vietnam can be higher or lower.
- Scope: indexes usually cover port-to-port base freight plus some surcharges, not origin/destination charges, duties or delivery.
- Timing: indexes lag fast-moving markets by days.
- Contract vs spot: see contract or spot.
Using indexes in practice
- Track the trend, not the exact number.
- Link DDP price adjustments to an index movement — see pricing DDP.
- Ask your forwarder how their quote compares with the latest index.