News
The volume of containerized shipments transported westbound from Asia to Europe in December 2011 remained nearly unchanged from a year earlier, increasing a minute 0.77% to 1,204,800 TEUs, according to a report compiled by Container Trades Statistics （CTS） of the U.K.
Meanwhile, eastbound containers from Europe to Asia were more brisk, rising 7.45% to 517,500 TEUs.
On a yearly scale, it was indicated in the same report that container movement from Asia to Europe improved 3.3% year on year to 13,927,000 TEUs in 2011, while that from Europe to Asia was more robust, growing 7.48% to 6,052,500 TEUs.
The CTS report said the freight rate index （the average in 2008=100 points） for westbound services was 64 points in the month in question, falling five percentage points from the previous month’s 69 points and as low as it was in August 2008.
The index had plunged by 51 percentage points, or approximately 44% since it peaked at 115 points in August 2009.
