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Container exports from Asia to Europe amounted to 1.51 million TEUs in April, according to statistics compiled by the Japan Maritime Center (JMC) from data provided by Container Trades Statistics (CTS). Those from China led overall container movement on the trade, which increased 4.4%, a year-on-year improvement for the 14th consecutive month. In January-April, they totaled 5.61 million TEUs, up 6.9% year on year. They were greater in volume than the corresponding months of 2021 and 2022 as well.
By origin, China and Hong Kong were responsible for 1.17 million TEUs in April, up 6.3%; Northeast Asia, 144,289 TEUs, up 6.4%; and Southeast Asia, 190,577 TEUs, up 1.8%.
By destination, 939,397 TEUs were destined to North Europe, up 6.9%; 283,469 TEUs to the Western Mediterranean, up 4.1%; and 290,770 TEUs to the Eastern Mediterranean, up 2.8%.
The JMC sees the robustness in exports from China was attributed to last-minute demand expansions as the European Union (EU) will hike import tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) next month.
Meanwhile, imports from Europe to Asia decreased 3.4% to 528,852 TEUs in April, a year-on-year contraction for two back-to-back months. In the first four months, they fell a minute 0.2% to 2.11 million TEUs.
By origin, 365,784 TEUs were moved from North Europe in April, down 7.1%, 85,906 TEUs from the Western Mediterranean, up 6.6%; and 77,162 TEUs from the Eastern Mediterranean, up 6.1%.
By destination, China imported 253,929 TEUs, down 8.1%; Northeast Asia, 118,202 TEUs, up 2%; and Southeast Asia, 156,690 TEUs, up 1.1%.
When the EU raises import tariffs on EVs from China in July, China is likely to take retaliatory actions. As such, it is necessary, the JMC stressed, to keep an eye on how they will impact container exports from Europe to Asia and shipping capacity to and from Japan.
