News
Major shipping lines handled a total of 1.149 million TEUs of containers in July among 13 countries and regions in Asia, which increased 2.3% from a year earlier and was a year-on-year improvement for the second straight month. On the other hand, exports from Japan to the 12 others and imports vice versa were both sluggish, decreasing 6.5% to 124,500 TEUs and 3.2% to 185,000 TEUs, respectively.
In the first seven months (January-July), 7.943 million TEUs were moved among the 13 Asian economies, which remained nearly unchanged from the corresponding term of 2015, growing a minute 0.05%. Containers from Japan plunged 10.8% to 893,000 TEUs, but those to the nation were steady, rising 3.8% to 1.308 million TEUs. Container freight rate indexes have been almost going sideways on many trade routes since the beginning of this year.
As for exports from Japan to China, those to northern China went down 54% year on year to 18,000 TEUs in July; to central China, down 22% to 12,000 TEUs; to Fujian Province; down 37% to 770 TEUs; and to southern China, down 16% to 1,200 TEUs. Containers to Hong Kong and Taiwan were also weak, falling 9.6% to 12,000 TEUs and 3.5% to 16,500 TEUs, respectively.
