RWI/ISL- Container Throughput Index

Global trade picks up

06.02.2025

At the end of the year, global trade – measured in terms of container throughput – picked up again despite the uncertainties caused by US tariff policy. According to the latest flash estimate, the container throughput index of the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) rose to 143.2 points in December. Compared to the previous month, the overall index rose slightly by 1.2 index points. The index for northern European ports, on the other hand, fell by 1.4 index points. The strikes in the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam at the end of last year continue to weigh on their container throughput.

The essence in a nutshell:

The container throughput index of the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) rose to 143.2 points in December after seasonal adjustment, compared with 142.0 points (revised) in the previous month.
The Nordrange Index, which provides indications of economic development in the northern eurozone and Germany, fell slightly from 124.6 points (revised) to 123.2 points in December.
Container throughput in Chinese ports rose significantly – from 159.7 points in the previous month (revised) to 163.8 points.
The RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index for January 2026 will be published on 27 February 2026.

Torsten Schmidt

RWI-Konjunkturchef

Global trade increased last year despite the erratic US tariff policy. Both Europe and China recorded growth in goods throughput. The US, on the other hand, is falling behind compared to the previous year. The planned free trade zone between the EU and India will cover a quarter of the global economy. This market opening can contribute significantly to prosperity, resilience and reliability for all involved.

About the RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index:

The index includes data on container throughput collected on an ongoing basis by the ISL Monthly Container Port Monitor from 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 from 80 percent of the throughput represented in the index. Since international trade is mainly conducted by sea, container transshipments allow reliable conclusions to be drawn about world trade. Because many ports report on their activities just two weeks after the end of a month, the RWI/ISL Container Transshipment Index is a reliable early indicator of developments in international trade in manufactured goods and thus also of global economic activity.

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