RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index: Strong surge of container traffic in European ports
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) increased to 129.3 points in March from 128.6 points (revised) in February.
- The North Range Index, which gives an indication of economic development in the northern Eurozone and Germany, shows a strong increase from a revised 103.7 points in February to 114.9 points in March.
- Container throughput in Chinese ports mostly stagnated at 138.9 points.
- The RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index for April 2024 will be published on 29 May 2024
RWI head of economic research Torsten Schmidt comments on the development of the Container Throughput Index: "The strong increase of the Container Throughput Index in European ports may partly be due to container vessels avoiding the Red Sea and sailing around Africa instead. Therefore, some the cargo expected in February was delivered in March. However, part of the increase is also likely due the economic recovery in the Eurozone that is seemingly gaining momentum."
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 33 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 Detschland" 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.
Your contacts:
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
