News
Container Trade Statistics Ltd. (CTS) of the U.K. recently released a report on container movement on the Asia/Europe trade in 2010.
Westbound container shipments from Asia to Europe increased notably from a year earlier, surging 17.67% from 11,493,357 TEUs to 13,523,800 TEUs.
Meanwhile, eastbound containers from Europe to Asia grew much more mildly, rising 1.45% from 5,377,700 TEUs to 5,458,298 TEUs.
The freight rate index (the average rate of 2008: 100 points) for westbound services, which peaked at 119 points in July and August 2010, began to decrease in September and fell below the 100-point line for the first time in a year in December, going down to 98 points.
The volume of containerized shipments moved from Asia to Europe totaled 3,135,300 TEUs in the first quarter of 2010, up 21% year on year; 3,433,900 TEUs in the second quarter, up 24.14%; 3,578,100 TEUs in the third quarter, up 14.96% and 3,376,500 TEUs in the fourth quarter, up 11.67%.
In terms of year-on-year growth, westbound container traffic reached a peak in the second quarter, but began to decrease in the third quarter.
Containers from Europe to Asia registered a double-digit improvement in the first quarter, surging 22.96% from a year earlier to 1,377,400 TEUs, but remained nearly unchanged in the second quarter, going up a mere 0.55% to 1,428,800 TEUs.
In the second half, they continued to suffer year-on-year decreases, falling 5.94% to 1,360,500 TEUs in the third quarter and 6.78% to 1,371,000 TEUs in the fourth quarter.
