SPOT rates from the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index (SCFI) on the Asia to northern Europe route fell 6.5 per cent to US$938 per TEU on Friday, Reuters reports.

It was the fourth straight week of falling rates on the world's busiest route. Container freight rates have so far increased two weeks this year but fallen for five.

On the Asia-Mediterranean run, rates fell 6.1 per cent and dropped 11.3 per cent from Asia to the US west coast and were down two per cent to ports on the US east coast.