Container volumes fall in January

Container Trade Statistics (CTS), the organisation that publishes figures on shipping container volumes and rates, has released its latest report for January.

The numbers show that exports from Asia, in terms of TEUs, fell by 6.15% in January, influenced by the early Chinese New Year and continuing weakness in the European economy. However, imports into Asia actually grew significantly – by 6.73% – as the region continued to bring in goods from around the world.

Europe’s container volumes were influenced by the strength of the Asian economy, as exports from Europe surged by 11.6%. This is in stark contrast to imports to Europe which fell by 5.16% as the Eurozone crisis continued to impact on consumer spend.

North America’s figures told a different story. Exports were marginally down (0.73%), but imports were slightly up by 0.62%, contrasting with Europe’s weakness. Growth in imports is a sign that the US economy is starting to show some activity, with consumer spend rising. In fact, the position may be better than the statistics suggest, as many Asian manufacturers will have shut down for part of the month. February’s figures (in which the New Year holidays fell in 2011) could well show a substantial surge.

Elsewhere in the world, there was a mixed picture. Exports from South and Central America were up 2.95%, but imports were down 6.54%. Exports from the Indian sub-continent and Middle East were up 6.66%, but imports were down 2.78%. Globally, imports and exports both fell by 0.74%.

It will undoubtedly take another month or so to gain a true picture of the strength of the container shipping market. However, in some regions there are positive signs that the first half of 2012 will be strong, although the European market (in terms of imports) continues to be a concern.

Quelle: eyefortransport
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