What container shipping rates tell us about the economy
When economists want to take the temperature of global trade, they increasingly look not at ...
Global container volumes continued to defy predictions of a slowdown in August, posting a new monthly record, according to new data released by Container Trades Statistics today.
After three consecutive months in which the 16m teu mark was surpassed on global trades, August produced a record high.
“August continued this trend of strong performance, recording 16.61m teu, which now stands as the highest monthly volume ever in the CTS database, surpassing May 2025’s 16.59m teu,” said CTS.
“While the month-on-month increase was modest, at 0.2%, it highlights the consistently high level of global volumes in 2025.”
The strength of the global trading environment was underscored by how badly the trades into North America fared in August, with marginal growth shown on imports on just two of its smallest trades – from Oceania and sub-Saharan Africa, as per the table below, derived from the latest CTS data, while on the trunk transpacific routes from the Far East, volumes were down 12.3% year on year, representing a loss of some 300,000 teu, compared with August 2024, and giving an indication of the effect of tariffs on what would normally be the high point of the summer peak season.
Source: CTS
An important caveat here is that the CTS data records shipments loaded in August, rather than containers being unloaded at destination ports.
As a result, much of the volume decline seen on the Far East-North America trade by CTS will be likely seen in US port throughput numbers in September, adding weight to previous predictions published in The Loadstar that US port volume data is set to see substantial declines in volumes for the remainder of the year.
Meanwhile, the ability of other markets to absorb the continuing high export volumes out of the Far East showed no sign of abating in August, with every deepsea trade emanating from the region, bar North America, showing double-digit volume growth.
Source: CTS
“As we conclude the eighth month of 2025, it is clear that the year is outperforming early expectations,” CTS said. “Continuous record-breaking months and resilient trade patterns highlight the strength and adaptability of the global container market.
“2025 is shaping up to be a far stronger year than initially predicted, underlining the market’s capacity to navigate challenges while sustaining growth,” CTS added.
However, weak pricing will continue to concern carriers, with the CTS global price index dropping for the second consecutive month. More worrying is the longer-term trend – its price index having been dropping since December 20024, bar a one-month brief rally in May.
“The Global Price Index fell 3 points in August, standing at 81 points, continuing a steady decline since June 2025,” noted CTS.
“By comparison, the index was at 115 points at the same time last year, reflecting ongoing market adjustments despite strong volume performance.”
Listen to this clip of Nigel Pusey, CEO of Container Trade Statistics, speak on how China is finding new markets amid North America demand decline:
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