29 Jan Global Container Volume Growth Slows Pace
Global container volume growth in October fell to its slowest pace since February 2025 as increased trade in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America was offset by falling US and European imports.
Whilst security conditions may have improved, challenges such as high marine insurance costs continue to a major factor preventing the return of a range of shipping organisations to the Suez Canal.
Global volumes expanded 2.1% year over year in October, with volumes in the first 10 months up 4.4% compared with a year earlier, however the reduced global growth in October pulled the 12-month rolling average down to the lowest level in 20 months.
Import volumes into North America in October fell 6.7% compared with October 2024, while exports from Asia to Europe fell on a year-over-year basis for the first time since February, dropping 3%, according to CTS.
The biggest factor influencing the decline in global container volumes is the drop in US imports as they were expected to end 2025 down 1.4% at 25.2M TEUs. Industry reports anticipate that 2026 US import volumes will either remain stagnant or reduce by up to 2% this year.
Currently, volumes in January, February and March are expected to be 10.3%, 8.5% and 16.8% lower than the corresponding months in 2025, with April continuing this trend.
Looking ahead, containerised US imports are expected to fall to their lowest level in two and a half years, while ongoing tariff uncertainty will keep general container volumes subdued over the coming months, a trend which is currently being reflected in declining shipping rates across the global trading landscape.
FOLLOW US FOR THE LATEST NEWS!
Simply click here to follow our LinkedIn Company Page to stay up-to-date with the latest industry news that may impact your business.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.