Container Trade Statistics (CTS) has announced its official June 2025 data that reflects a robust first half of the year for the container shipping market, despite a myriad of global and regional uncertainties.
Global volumes for June 2025 stood at 16.1 million TEUs, marking a 3.4% month-on-month (MoM) decrease, following the restated record-breaking 16.5 million TEUs in May 2025.
The May figure remains the CTS record for monthly liftings, setting a high benchmark for future months.
However, even with this dip, global volumes for the first half of 2025 are up 4.5% year-to-date (YTD), reaching an impressive 93.5 million TEUs, demonstrating the resilience and adaptability of the market amidst challenges.
Export Performance: Regional Insights
Looking at the first half of 2025, exports from most regions have shown positive year-to-date growth. The only notable exception is North America, which saw a decline of -3%, largely due to the pullback in exports from the Far East.
The regions with the largest YTD increases in exports are South and Central America, Indian Sub-Continent & Middle East, and Far East, all seeing a 6% increase.
Interestingly, the growth in Far East exports is driven by increased shipments to the Indian Sub-Continent and Middle East, South and Central America, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Import Performance: Positive Growth Across All Regions
On the import side, the first half of 2025 paints a positive picture. All regions have experienced year-to-date growth, underscoring the strength of the market. Sub-Saharan Africa leads the way with a 14% YTD increase, driven by volumes from the Far East and North America, both up by over 20% on this trade route.
Europe has also seen steady growth, with Europe’s YTD imports exceeding 18 million TEUs, making it the second-largest regional import figure, trailing only the Far East.
The Global Price Index for June 2025 stood at 86 points, marking an increase of 8 points from May 2025. This is still 15 points lower than the same month in 2024, when the index stood at 101 points. So far this year, the index has decreased by 8 points, from 94 points in January 2025.
A Strong Start to 2025
In conclusion, the first half of 2025 has been a strong and impressive six months for the global container shipping market. Despite earlier pessimistic predictions, 2025 is following a similar trajectory to 2024, with strong growth despite ongoing challenges.
However, as another stage of tariff implementations loom on the horizon, this period of growth may be short-lived. As we move into the second half of 2025, we can hope that the strong foundation laid in the first half will carry forward, providing a solid basis for the months ahead.
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