Flat container volumes from Asia to Europe are being offset in part by stronger cargo flows in the opposite direction, with exports through ports in Germany, Turkey, Belgium and France performing particularly well.
Latest data from Container Trades Statistics shows that westbound liftings from Asia in April were broadly unchanged from volumes in the corresponding month of both 2011 and 2012.
Total dry and reefer exports from Asia to Europe totalled just under 1.16 million teu in April, a tiny 0.09% year-on-year increase.
Flat container volumes from Asia to Europe are being offset in part by stronger cargo flows in the opposite direction, with exports through ports in Germany, Turkey, Belgium and France performing particularly well.
Latest data from Container Trades Statistics shows that westbound liftings from Asia in April were broadly unchanged from volumes in the corresponding month of both 2011 and 2012.
Total dry and reefer exports from Asia to Europe totalled just under 1.16 million teu in April, a tiny 0.09% year-on-year increase.
Nevertheless, the latest number represents a considerable improvement on March, when CTS reported a 7.1% decline on the year-earlier figure.
The data is compiled directly from a pool of contributor container lines and rounded up to give an estimated 100% figure.
On the backhaul trade from Europe to Asia, conditions are looking considerably better, with 12.6% growth in April to 575,300 teu. That followed a 4.7% increase in March, although the first-quarter figure was negative after a weak start to the year.
The diverging eastbound and westbound growth statistics are reflected in the price indices for each trade lane.
On the westbound Asia to Europe trade, the price index compiled by CTS fell to 75 in April from 78 in March and a recent peak of 104 in April 2012. The index is based on the 2008 quarterly average equalling 100.
In the eastbound trades, the CTS index rose to 93 in April from 92 in March. That is below the July 2012 level of 104 but well above the January 2012 number of 70.
In addition to stronger import demand in countries such as China, Japan and Taiwan, CTS believes lines may have been able to secure higher freight rates because of equipment shortages in Europe caused by weaker inbound volumes. That would affect the availability of the right sort of containers for the return leg.
In the troubled eastbound Asia-north Europe trades, many lines are aiming for a large general rate increase of around $1,000 per teu after all-in spot rates fell back to below $600 last week.
Exports of containerised dry goods from Asia to northern Europe remain weak, with CTS reporting a 1.6% decline in April. In contrast, eastbound shipments were up 11.5%.
In the trade lane from Asia to the western Mediterranean and North Africa, dry cargo volumes were slightly down at 201,611 teu, whereas eastbound shipments jumped 23.4%, although the actual numbers are small at 80,812 teu.
The strongest region was the eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea area, where inbound volumes were up 7.2% in April to 213,587 teu. Outbound shipments were 13.2% higher at almost 80,000 teu.
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