RWI/ISL Container Throughput Input Index
Further upward trend in container throughput
29.05.2024
According to the latest flash estimate by the RWI - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL), the Container Throughput Index rose slightly in April to a seasonally adjusted 128.8 points compared to the previous month. In the European ports, container throughput fell by just under 8% compared to the previous month. This means that it has lost a large part of the strong increase in the previous month.
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) rose to 128.8 points in April compared to 128.1 points (revised) in the previous month.
- The North Range Index, which provides an indication of economic development in the northern eurozone and Germany, fell sharply in April compared to the previous month from 115.2 (revised) to 106.1 points. Overall, however, container throughput still points to a gradual recovery in Europe.
- In the Chinese ports, on the other hand, container throughput rose quite significantly from 139.2 points in the previous month to 143.5 points.
- The RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index for May 2024 will be published on June 26, 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% of global container throughput. The present flash estimate for the Container Throughput Index relies on data representing approximately 48% 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.
