RWI/ISL-Containerumschlag-Index

Container Throughput Index rises slightly in April - global trade defies US tariff policy

28.05.2025

The Container Throughput Index of the RWI - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) rose slightly in April. According to the latest flash estimate, the index climbed to a seasonally adjusted 137.3 points, up from 136.2 points (revised) in March. The latest development shows that global trade has so far remained stable despite increasing trade tensions. The tariff dispute between the USA and China in particular, which led to a drastic increase in tariffs on Chinese imports of 145 per cent by mid-April, has had an impact on container throughput. Nevertheless, container throughput in US ports has so far remained within the normal range of fluctuation. As it takes a good two weeks to transport containers from China to the US West Coast ports, further effects are to be expected in May.

The most important facts in brief:

The Container Throughput Index of the RWI - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) rose to a seasonally adjusted 137.3 points in April compared to 136.2 points (revised) in the previous month.
The North Range Index, which provides an indication of economic development in the northern eurozone and Germany, rose from 112.2 points (revised) to 113.3 points in April compared to the previous month.
At 155.8 points (revised), container throughput in the Chinese ports rose quite significantly compared to 152.9 points in the previous month.
The RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index for May 2025 will be published on 26. June 2025.

Torsten Schmidt

RWI-Konjunkturchef

The impact of the USA's erratic customs policy on container throughput is currently still limited. Short-term rate changes are difficult to reflect in the monthly data. Overall, this unpredictable exchange rate will damage trade with the USA if permanent solutions are not found soon.

Sönke Maatsch

Leiter des Bereichs Maritime Markets am ISL

In the US West Coast ports - the most important gateways for trade between China and the US - no extraordinary effect on import volumes was visible in April. On the contrary: the number of loaded import containers was still 9% higher than in the same month last year, while exports were almost 4% lower.

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 80 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.