Container throughput index reaches surprising peak
In their flash estimate for August 2019, the German RWI – Leibniz institute for economic research and the institute of shipping economics and logistics (ISL) indicate that the container throughput index has risen slightly to 139.2. Hence it exceeds the previous record level of July 2019 by 0.2 points and shows an increase of 0.6 points compared to January 2019. July’s level remained unchanged compared to the figure published in the flash estimate for that month.
Roland Döhrn, the head of the macroeconomics and public finance department at RWI, commented the development of the index as follows: “In spite of smouldering trade conflicts, container throughput has remained remarkably robust. On the other hand, we must not forget that vehicles, which are currently experiencing a lull in exports, are not carried in containers and that ro-ro traffic is not listed in the index.”
The flash estimate for August is based on information from 42 ports, which handled about 71% of the throughput described in the index. RWI and ISL will publish their container throughput index for September 2019 on 24 October. (fd)
www.rwi-essen.de/containerindex