RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index: Next downtick for container traffic
The essence in a nutshell:
- The seasonally adjusted Container Throughput Index of the RWI - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) decreased from 132.3 (revised) in September to 131.7 points in October.
- The North Range Index, which provides an indication of economic development in the northern eurozone and Germany, increased notably from 111.6 (revised) in September to 113.4 points in October.
- In the Chinese ports, container throughput decreased sharply from 145.5 points (revised) in September to 143.1 points in October.
- The RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index for November 2024 will be published on 19 December 2024.
Torsten Schmidt, RWI’s head of economic research: „After the strong increase of container throughput during the past two years, a slowdown is now emerging. The strong decrease in China indicates that the slowdown of economic activity starts to affect international trade. The European ports, by contrast, continue to recover.“
About the RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index:
The index is based on data on container throughput in 92 international ports, which account for around 64 percent 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 65 percent 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 the 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 foreign trade statistics 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.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Torsten Schmidt, Phone: +49 201 8149-287, torsten.schmidt@rwi-essen.de
Sabine Weiler (Communications), Phone: +49 201 8149-213, sabine.weiler@rwi-essen.de
Data RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index
Graphic in printable resolution
RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index: North Range
