RWI/ISL- Container Throughput Index

RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index stagnates: US customs policy slows down global trade

25.07.2025

According to the latest flash estimate, the container throughput index compiled by the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) remained largely unchanged in June at a seasonally adjusted 136.5 points compared with the previous month, reflecting the continuing weakness in global trade. Since the beginning of the year, the index has been moving sideways – a clear sign of how much the United States' trade policy is weighing on global goods flows. Noteworthy are the contrasting regional developments hidden behind the overall picture: European ports recorded significant declines in June, wiping out their previous gains – an indication of the uncertainty in global trade.

The most important facts in brief:

The container throughput index compiled by the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) remained largely unchanged in June at 136.5 points, compared with 136.4 points (revised) in the previous month.
The Nordrange Index, which provides information on economic development in the northern eurozone and Germany, fell from 116.8 (revised) to 115.5 points in June compared with the previous month.
Container handling in Chinese ports fell only slightly to 151.2 points, compared with 151.3 points (revised) in the previous month.
The RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index for July 2025 will be published on 28. August 2025.

Torsten Schmidt

RWI-Konjunkturchef

Global container handling is stagnating under pressure from US customs policy. Although the recent agreement between the US and China at the end of June could provide a temporary boost, the fundamental uncertainty caused by the US administration's constant announcements of new tariffs remains and continues to weigh on the global economy.

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 74 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.