Japanese Container Trade Will Rise 3.2 Percent in 2012: Report

Nippon Express subsidiary predicts containerized exports from the nine major Japanese ports will climb 3.3 percent to 5.302 million TEUs
Japan's containerized cargo trade will rise 3.2 percent year-over-year in fiscal 2012, which started on April 1, to 12.865 million 20-foot equivalent units, a Tokyo-based research firm predicted in a new report.

Nippon Express subsidiary predicts containerized exports from the nine major Japanese ports will climb 3.3 percent to 5.302 million TEUs
Japan's containerized cargo trade will rise 3.2 percent year-over-year in fiscal 2012, which started on April 1, to 12.865 million 20-foot equivalent units, a Tokyo-based research firm predicted in a new report.
 The pace of growth in Japanese containerized cargo trade will quicken from an estimated 1.2 percent in fiscal 2011, Nittsu Research Institute and Consulting said. NRIC is a subsidiary of Nippon Express Co., Japan’s largest international freight forwarder. In fiscal 2011, containerized cargo exports from nine major Japanese ports are estimated to have fallen 3.4 percent, while containerized cargo imports are estimated to have increased 4.7 percent on a year-over-year basis, NRIC said.
 NRIC said that containerized cargo exports will regain growth in fiscal 2012, reflecting a sharp decline in the first half of fiscal 2011 because of the effects of the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern Japan. The pace of growth in containerized cargo exports will be mild, however, because of weak global economic growth and a strong yen, NRIC said.
 Containerized cargo exports to the United States are likely to remain firm in fiscal 2012, NRIC said.
 According to NRIC’s report, loaded container cargo exports from the nine major Japanese ports are projected to rise 3.3 percent in fiscal 2012 to 5.302 million TEUs, while loaded container cargo imports there are projected to rise 3.2 percent in fiscal 2012 to 7.563 million TEUs.
 The nine ports, which include Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka and Kobe, account for about 90 percent of Japan’s total containerized cargo trade — both exports and imports.
 According to NRIC’s report, Japanese air cargo trade is projected to edge up 0.4 percent in fiscal 2012 to 2.275 million tons after declining an estimated 3.9 percent in fiscal 2011.
 In fiscal 2012, air cargo exports are projected to drop 0.6 percent to 1.034 million tons, while air cargo imports are projected to increase 1.3 percent to 1.241 million tons.
 NRIC was established in 1961 as the first comprehensive research organization in Japan dealing with problems of business logistics and related issues, according to the company.