RWI/ISL Index: Container throughput shows revival in European ports

According to the latest flash estimate, 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 129.5 points in February compared to the previous month. Without the significant decline in container throughput in the Chinese ports, the increase would have been much stronger. In the European ports, container throughput increased by almost three per cent.

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 129.5 points in February compared to 128.5 points (revised) in the previous month.
• Container throughput in the Chinese ports fell sharply. The index value fell from 145.6 to 142.0 points. However, it should be noted that the figures may still be distorted by the Chinese New Year.
• The North Range Index, which provides an indication of economic development in the northern eurozone and Germany, rose significantly in February compared to the previous month from 101.0 (revised) to 104.0 points .
• The RWI/ISL Container Throughput Index for March 2024 will be published on 26 April 2024.

Commenting on the development of the Container Throughput Index, RWI head of economic research Torsten Schmidt says: "Global container throughput is expanding at a strong rate for the fourth month in a row. In the European ports, too, the long-standing decline in container throughput appears to have been halted. This is likely to have given a boost to German exports, which have been weak recently."

Source: RWI, Photo: Fotolia