The most important points in brief:

• The container throughput index of the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) rose to 143.2 points in December after seasonal adjustment, compared with 142.0 points (revised) in the previous month. 

• The Nordrange Index, which provides indications of economic development in the northern eurozone and Germany, fell slightly from 124.6 points (revised) to 123.2 points in December.  

• Container throughput in Chinese ports rose significantly – from 159.7 points in the previous month (revised) to 163.8 points. 

• The RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index for January 2026 will be published on 27 February 2026.

Commenting on the development of the container throughput index, RWI Chief Economist Torsten Schmidt said: "Global trade increased last year despite the erratic US tariff policy. Both Europe and China recorded growth in goods throughput. The US, on the other hand, is falling behind compared to the previous year. The planned free trade zone between the EU and India will cover a quarter of the global economy. 

About the RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index:

The index is based on data on container handling collected continuously within the ISL Monthly Container Port Monitor for 90 international ports, which account for around 64 percent of global container throughput. The current flash estimate for the Container Throughput Index is based on data covering 80 percent of the throughput represented in the index. Since international trade is largely conducted by sea, container throughput provides reliable insights into global trade. As many ports report their activities just two weeks after the end of a month, the RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index serves as a reliable leading indicator of developments in international trade in manufactured goods and thus of global economic activity. The Container Throughput Index is part of the foreign trade statistics in the Federal Statistical Office’s „Dashboard Deutschland“. It is also used by many international bodies such as UNCTAD and is included in the “Shipping/Port Data” section of the WTO’s Global Trade Data Portal.

Data series for individual ports are available in the ISL Monthly Container Port Monitor

Further background information on the RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index can be found at www.rwi-essen.de/containerindex.

Your contact persons:

Prof. Dr. Torsten Schmidt, Phone: +49 (201) 8149-287, torsten.schmidt@rwi-essen.de

Dr. Niels Oelgart (Communication), Phone: +49 (201) 8149-213, niels.oelgart@rwi-essen.de 

Alexander Bartel (Communication), Phone: +49 (201) 8149-354, alexander.bartel@rwi-essen.de

Download:

Graph showing the container throughput index

Graph showing the container throughput index (Northrange)

Data on the container throughput index and container throughput index (Northrange)

Data on special evaluation excluding Chinese ports