RWI/ISL Container Handling Index: Economic decline continues at a slower pace

The container handling index of the RWI - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) fell to 107.7 in May according to the latest flash estimate. In the Chinese ports, handling increased slightly, while it fell significantly in the other ports.

The most important facts in brief:

- The Container Handling Index of the RWI - Leibniz Institute of Economic Research and the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) fell slightly in May, seasonally adjusted, from (corrected) 107.8 to 107.7. It is thus now 7.3 percent below the previous year's figure.

- Although the minus of 0.1 points compared to April is small, it is still a good result. At the same time, however, the April value was revised downwards by 1.1 points compared to the flash estimate.

- Once again, the development in China differed from that in the rest of the world: in the Chinese ports, cargo handling increased by just under 2 percent compared to the previous month. In the ports of the other countries, transhipments fell by 1.5 percent compared with April and are now 10 percent lower than a year ago.

- The North Range Index, which gives an indication of the economic development in the northern euro zone and in Germany, fell by 2.0 points to 102.4.

- The current quick estimate for the container handling index is based on data from 61 ports, which handle around 84 percent of the cargo covered by the index.

- The RWI/ISL Container Handling Index for June 2020 will be published on July 31, 2020.

Regarding the development of the Container Handling Index, RWI Economic Director Torsten Schmidt says: "As expected, container handling continued to decline in May. This time the decline was particularly large in European ports. “

Source: RWI, Photo: Fotolia