The average container freight rates from Asia to North Europe continues to drop, to $2,352 per 40-foot container and to $1,359 per 20-foot, as of tracking on May 24, according to Xeneta, a sea freight price comparison service. Due to overcapacity and various types of economic turmoil in the market, the market index for 40-foot containers has taken a massive dip with it being down 52 percent from May 2012.

Managing month-to-month changes to services and schedules is now a constant battle for container operators as they strive to keep the spot market from imploding in the current weak demand environment, according to Drewry's latest Container Forecaster report.