RWI/ISL- Container Throughput Index

Sharp Decline in Container Handling in Europe

27.11.2025

According to the latest flash estimate, the Container Throughput Index of the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Institute for Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) rose to 137.2 points in October. This means the overall index largely made up for its decline compared to the previous month. However, German and European ports continue to lose container freight on a massive scale. In October, container throughput fell by 5 index points — the third consecutive drop. After last year’s revival in European trade, Europe is once again falling behind and is increasingly decoupling from global trade.

The essence in a nutshell:

Seasonally adjusted, the Container Throughput Index of the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Institute for Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) rose slightly in October to 137.2 points, up from a revised 136.8 points in the previous month.
The North Range Index, which provides indications of economic developments in the northern euro area and Germany, virtually collapsed in October, falling from a revised 113.9 points to 108.9 points.
In Chinese ports, container throughput declined slightly — from a revised 153.0 points in the previous month to 151.8 points.
The RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index for November 2025 will be published on 19 December 2025.

Torsten Schmidt

RWI-Konjunkturchef

Europe has been losing its share in global trade since 2022. Sanctions against Russia are likely to have contributed to this. In addition, the sharp rise in energy costs has worsened the competitiveness of European companies. Last but not least, imports are suffering from weak economic activity in Europe. There is therefore little hope that Europe will be able to keep pace with global economic developments again any time soon.

About the RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index:

The index is based on data on container handling collected continuously within the ISL Monthly Container Port Monitor for 90 international ports, which account for around 64 percent of global container throughput. The current flash estimate for the Container Throughput Index is based on data covering 87 percent of the throughput represented in the index. Since international trade is largely conducted by sea, container throughput provides reliable insights into global trade. As many ports report their activities just two weeks after the end of a month, the RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index serves as a reliable leading indicator of developments in international trade in manufactured goods and thus of global economic activity. 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.

The Container Throughput Index is part of the foreign trade statistics in the Federal Statistical Office’s „Dashboard Deutschland“

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