RWI/ISL Container Throughput Input Index
Disruptions in the Red Sea impact container throughput
29.02.2024
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 slightly in January to a seasonally adjusted 126.5 points compared to the previous month. However, this increase is exclusively attributable to the Chinese ports, where the index is distorted by the New Year celebrations at the beginning of the year. Container throughput fell in all other regions of the world. The rather sharp decline in European ports is probably also due to the attacks in the Red Sea, which are causing many cargo ships to take a detour around Africa.
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 slightly in January to 126.5 points (seasonally adjusted) compared to 125.7 points (revised).
- Container throughput rose sharply in the Chinese ports. The index value increased from 137.0 to 142.8 points. However, it should be noted that the figures may be distorted by the Chinese New Year.
- The North Range Index, which gives an indication of economic development in the northern eurozone and Germany, fell significantly in January compared to the previous month from 101.5 (revised) to 99.4 points.
- The RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index for February 2024 will be published on March 28, 2024.
Torsten Schmidt
About the RWI/ISL- Container Throughput Index
The index takes into account container throughput data continuously collected on an ongoing basis by the ISL Monthly Container Port Monitor at 92 international ports, representing approximately 64 per cent of global container throughput. The present flash estimate for the Container Throughput Index relies on data representing approximately 42 per cent of the throughput represented in the index. Since international trade is mainly handles by sea, the development of container throughput provides reliable insights into global merchandise trade. As many ports already report their data a fortnight after the end of each month, the RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index is a reliable early indicator of the international merchandise trade and hence also of global economic activity.
The Container Troughput Index is 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.
