SPOT rates for shipping containers from Asia to northern Europe dropped two per cent to US$859 per TEU in the week ending Friday, according to the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index (SCFI).

Asia-Mediterranean trade slipped 1.8 per cent to $838 per TEU, IHS Media reported. Asia to the US west coast declined 4.8 per cent week-over-week to $1,424 per FEU while those to the east coast down 2.3 per cent to $2,887 per FEU.