RWI/ISL Container Throughput Input Index
Container traffic stagnates at high Level
26.07.2024
According to the latest flash estimate by the RWI - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL), the seasonally adjusted Container Throughput Index stagnated at 130.4 points in June. A pronounced drop in European ports was compensated by an increase in the rest of the world.
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) stagnated at 130.4 points in June.
- The North Range Index, which provides an indication of economic development in the northern eurozone and Germany, decreased from 112.9 points (revised) in May to 111.3 points in June. Container traffic keeps moving sideward with strong fluctuations.
- In Chinese ports, container throughput increased slightly from 144.9 points in May to 145.9 points in June.
- The RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index for July 2024 will be published on August 29, 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 54% 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.

