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RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index: Global trade remained robust in August – strong growth in Northern Europe

Press release from the

Global container throughput remained virtually unchanged in August compared with the previous month. Despite the ongoing situation in the Persian Gulf and the additional threat to shipping in the Red Sea, international trade is proving resilient. In northern European ports, container throughput has even risen significantly.

The Container Handling Index, calculated by the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Institute for Maritime Transport and Logistics (ISL), rose only slightly in August from 141.8 (revised) to 141.9 index points. Global trade thus continues to prove stable.

Differences in key port regions 

However, container throughput has developed quite differently across the various regions of the world. The Nordrange Index, which is regarded as a leading indicator of economic development in the northern eurozone, has risen sharply: from 120.5 points (revised) to 123.9 points. In Chinese ports, by contrast, container throughput stagnated at an index level of 155.8 points.

A positive sign for German exports

Commenting on the trend in the container throughput index, RWI Chief Economist Torsten Schmidt says: “It is striking that container throughput in northern European ports rose sharply in August, even though the pressures on global trade have not eased and the low water levels on the Rhine are likely to have slowed German exports. It appears that the German export sector is currently managing to cope well with the uncertainty and the more complicated planning requirements.”

About the RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index:

The RWI/ISL Container Handling Index for September 2026 will be published on 30 October 2026.

The index incorporates data on container throughput at 90 international ports, which account for around 64 per cent of global container throughput, collected on an ongoing basis as part of the ISL Monthly Container Port Monitor. The current flash estimate for the Container Throughput Index is based on data covering 66 per cent of the throughput represented in the index. As international trade is primarily conducted by sea, container throughput provides reliable insights into global trade. Because many ports report their activities just two weeks after the end of a month, the RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index is a reliable leading indicator of trends in international trade in manufactured goods and, consequently, of global economic activity. The Container Throuput Index forms 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 Throuput Index can be found at www.rwi-essen.de/containerindex.

Your contacts for this matter:

Prof. Dr. Torsten Schmidt, Phone: (0201) 8149-287, torsten.schmidt@rwi-essen.de

Alexander Schlösser (Communication), Phone: (0201) 8149-354, alexander.schloesser@rwi-essen.de 

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About the RWI: 

The RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research is a leading center for economic research and evidence-based policy advice in Germany and a member of the Leibniz Association. The RWI’s research is critically reviewed by an international scientific advisory board. In addition, the institute is regularly evaluated by the Senate of the Leibniz Association. RWI’s research is based on the latest theoretical concepts and modern empirical methods.