News
Asia’s container exports to Europe amounted to 1.42 million TEUs in September, according to figures compiled by the Japan Maritime Center (JMC) from statistics provided by Container Trades Statistics (CTS). They shrank 0.3% from a year earlier to incur their first year-on-year contraction in 19 months. From the previous month, when they were robust, however, they remained nearly unchanged.
In the first nine months (January-September), Asia exported a record 13.39 million TEUs to Europe, up 6.8%, while in the third quarter (July-September), Asia’s Europe-bound exports totaled 4.64 million TEUs, which was also a new record.
By origin, China and Hong Kong were responsible for 1.09 million TEUs in September, up 0.6%, becoming the only origin to mark a year-on-year increase and leading the entire market. From other economies in Northeast Asia, however, exports plunged 19% to 129,018 TEUs, while those from Southeast Asia jumped 11.2% to 197,418 TEUs.
By destination, exports to North Europe accounted for 908,409 TEUs in September, up 4.3%; to the Western Mediterranean, 252,314 TEUs, down 0.9%; and to the Eastern Mediterranean, 254,687 TEUs, down 13.3%.
Meanwhile, container imports to Asia from Europe came to 479,015 TEUs in September, down 10.9%, which was a year-on-year contraction for the third consecutive month; 4.72 million TEUs in January-September, down 0.9%; and 1.53 million TEUs in July-September, down 3.7%.
By origin, 333,610 TEUs were imported from North Europe, down 11.6%; 74,520 TEUs from the Western Mediterranean, down 0.8%; and from the Eastern Mediterranean, 70,885 TEUs, down 16.6%.
By destination, imports to China plummeted 17.3% to 224,985 TEUs, contributing to the decline on the overall trade. In contrast, those to other economies in Northeast Asia hiked 0.5% to 111,833 TEUs. To Southeast Asia, imports waned 7.9% to 142,195 TEUs.
