News
Dry and reefer containers transported by major shipping companies among Japan and 11 other Asian countries and regions increased 4.7% year on year to 14.802 million TEUs in 2012, accounting for approximately 60% of the overall volume of containerized shipments that they handled worldwide. Reefer cargoes were favorable in particular, growing 9.8% to 790,000 TEUs, although they were small in volume.
Shipments were sluggish both to and from Japan due to poor domestic demand and the sharp appreciation of the yen. Containers to Japan registered negative growth, going down 2% to 2.5 million TEUs in total, while those from Japan only increased a very minute 0.8% to 2.056 million TEUs.
As for exports from Japan to major destinations, those to China went up 7.1% to 1.05 million TEUs and to South Korea, up 0.8% to 169,000 TEUs. In contrast, those to Taiwan were down 6% to 206,000 TEUs and to Hong Kong, down 9.6% to 157,000 TEUs.
Regarding imports to Japan, those from South Korea improved 1.7% to 245,000 TEUs. On the other hand, those from China diminished 6.5% to 1.095 million TEUs, adversely influence by, among other reasons, the deterioration in the diplomatic ties between Tokyo and Beijing. Those from Taiwan and Hong Kong were also weak, falling 1.6% to 203,000 TEUs and 10% to 140,000 TEUs, respectively.
