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RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index: Recovery of Container Throughput Despite Disturbed Supply Chains in Chinese Ports

Press release from the

The current flash forecast for the Container Throughput Index of RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Institute for Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) indicates a seasonally adjusted increase of 1.5 points to 123.6 points in May. Especially in Chinese ports, the container throughput showed significant recovery.

The essence in a nutshell:

  • The Container Throughput Index of RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Institute for Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) recorded a seasonally adjusted increase in May from 122.1 (revised) to 123.6 points.
  • The recovery of the container throughput was most prominent in Chinese ports, where the Index increased from 130.6 to 133.8.
  • The North Range Index, an indicator for economic development in northern Europe and Germany, has recorded an increase in May as well, from 109.7 (revised) to 111.5.
  • The RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index for the month of June 2022 will be published on July 29th, 2022.

Commenting on the development of the Container Throughput Index, RWI’s head of economic research Torsten Schmidt says: “Container throughput is continuing to be influenced by disturbed supply chains. Throughput decreased in the ports of many emerging markets. In Chinese ports, on the other hand, it already has recovered from its decline in April – resulting in an increase of the index in total.”

About the RWI/ISL- Container Throughput Index:

The RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index consists of container throughput data from 90 international ports gathered continuously by the ISL Monthly Container Port Monitor as part of its market observation. These ports account for approximately 64 percent of global container traffic. The current flash estimate for the Container Throughput Index is based on data from about 87 percent of the total index displayed here. As international trade is handled primarily by sea, reliable conclusions can be drawn here from container port throughput data. Furthermore, the index is a reliable early indicator of international trade of manufactured goods as well as global economic activity as most ports already report their activities within two weeks after the end of each month. The container throughput index is part of the statistics on foreign trade in the „Dashboard Deutschland“ of the Federal Statistical Office.

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

For more background information on the RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index, see www.rwi-essen.de/containerindex.

Your contact persons:

Prof. Dr. Torsten Schmidt, Phone: +49 (201) 8149-287,  torsten.schmidt@rwi-essen.de
Leonard Knollenborg (Communication), Phone: +49 (201) 8149-210,  leonard.knollenborg@rwi-essen.de

Data Container Throughput Index and North Range Index

Graphic Container Throughput Index in printable resolution

RWI/ISL-Container Throughput Index: North Range

Graphic in printable resolution

Data for special evaluation excluding chinese ports