The Drewry Container Port Throughput Indices are a series of calendar adjusted volume growth/decline indices based on monthly throughput data for a sample of over 340 ports worldwide, representing over 80% of global volumes. The base point for the indices is January 2019 = 100.
Drewry has developed a nowcasting model that uses vessel capacity and terminal duration data (derived from our proprietary AIS model) to make short-term predictions of port throughput.
Drewry’s latest assessment – May 2023
- The Global Container Port Throughput Index rose 5.4% MoM in March 2023, as global volumes rebounded after the Chinese New Year holidays. The index reached 105.9 points, just 0.3% below its March 2022 level. Resumption of activity in China helped to power the growth in volumes, but weak demand from Western markets tempered this momentum with YoY declines in container throughput recorded in North America and Europe.
- The Greater China Container Port Throughput Index increased 11.3% MoM in March 2023 to 108.4 points. This represented a 5.6% YoY increase over March 2022. Container throughput in Qingdao reached record levels in March 2023, with 2.4 mteu handled – an MoM increase of 31%. Shanghai and Ningbo also reported strong growth in throughput, with volumes rising 10% and 25% MoM respectively in March 2023.
- The North American Container Port Throughput Index recorded a 23.9% YoY decline in March 2023 to 89.9 points, its lowest level since June 2020. The latent impact of the Chinese New Year holidays, coupled with weak demand and the ongoing concerns about the still unresolved dockworker contract negotiations resulted in weak throughput figures at many ports on the USWC in March. Its two largest hubs, the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach, posted large YoY declines of 35% and 30% respectively in March 2023.
Related Research: Port and Terminal Sector
For access to port traffic data behind these Port Throughput Indices, along with the latest port call and port performance analytics, subscribe to Drewry’s Ports and Terminals Insight. This is a quarterly report (PDF) covering the latest developments in the container ports and terminals market, accompanied by a new monthly report (PDF) providing regular port congestion and performance monitoring (powered by Drewry AIS analytics). It looks behind the data and topical issues to answer both the ‘cause’ and ‘effect’ questions that matter most to senior industry stakeholders.
The monthly PDF report includes regular updates and analysis of port performance and congestion across global and 8 regional port markets, powered by Drewry AIS analytics:
- Monthly port throughput growth trend analysis
- Port call analytics and development trends
- Port performance monitoring, broken-down by:
- Pre-berth waiting time
- Terminal time
- Other time
- Port congestion heatmaps by region
- Pre-berth waiting time analysis comparisons across selected ports
Source: Hellenic Shipping News
