According to the latest flash estimate, the Container Throughput Index by RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) rose in May (seasonally adjusted) to 138.3 points, up from a revised 137.9 in April. This indicates that global trade remains strong – despite the temporary sharp increase in tariffs on imports to the United States.

However, container traffic at ports on the U.S. West Coast, which handle much of the trade with China, has noticeably declined. Chinese ports also reported slightly lower throughput in May compared to the previous month. In contrast, European ports once again saw strong growth in container traffic. This suggests that some Chinese exporters may be redirecting goods to Europe to avoid the rising trade barriers in the U.S.

Essentials:

• The RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index rose to a seasonally adjusted 138.3 points in May, compared to a revised 137.9 in April.
• The North Range Index – an indicator of economic activity in Northern Europe and Germany – rose from a revised 115.9 to 117.4 in May.
• Container throughput at Chinese ports slightly declined to 156.5 points in May, down from a revised 156.7 in April.
• The next release of the RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index (for June 2025) is scheduled for July 29, 2025.

Comment from RWI Economic Director Torsten Schmidt:

“The sharp increase in U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports is clearly slowing trade between the two countries. Still, global trade appears relatively resilient in the face of U.S. trade policy. This is partly because some Chinese goods are now being redirected to Europe.”

About the RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index:

The index is based on data on container throughput in 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 from around 80 per cent of the throughput shown in the index. As most international trade is handled by sea, container throughput allows reliable conclusions to be drawn about global trade. As many ports report on their activities just two weeks after the end of a month, the RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index is a reliable early indicator of the development of international trade in processed goods and therefore also of global economic activity. The Container Throughput Index is part of the statistics on foreign trade in the „Dashboard Deutschland“ of the Federal Statistical Office. 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.

Data Thoughput Index and Nord Range

Data on Chinese ports and index values excluding Chinese ports