Most of the world’s maritime centers shook off the effects of a U.S. trade reset in May as Drewry’s Global Container Port Throughput Index rose 1.4% from April and 5.4% year-on-year.
The London-based shipping consultant said that the rolling 12-month average global port handling growth rate held steady at 6.5% for the third consecutive month.
The Greater China Container Port Throughput Index slightly softened, experiencing a 0.4% month-over-month decline to 124.9 points. However, the year-over-year (y/y) perspective was more positive, with a 4.5% increase. The top five ports in Greater China saw average y/y growth of 7.2% in May. Shanghai particularly stood out, with volumes surging by an impressive 10.2%.
Conversely, the North American Container Port Throughput Index encountered some headwinds, reflecting both internal and external challenges.
In May, the index dropped by 8% month-on-month to 109.3 points, a decline largely attributed to the impact of the Trump administration’s April ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs. Despite these short-term setbacks, the index still grew 2.7% y/y, supported by a rolling 12-month average growth rate that, while slightly diminished, sustained a double-digit figure of 10.1%. Notably, the major West Coast ports experienced significant declines. Throughput at Long Beach plummeted by 26.3% m/m and 8.2% y/y, while Los Angeles saw decreases of 15% from April and 4.8% y/y. Manzanillo in Mexico and Seattle also faced declines, with throughput slipping by 10.4% and 9.6% y/y, respectively.
Vancouver, Canada and Mexico’s Lazaro Cardenas bucked the downward trend as y/y volume was better by 13.9% and 12.6%, respectively.
Europe also demonstrated resilience, where the Container Port Throughput Index saw a 3.7% increase April to May, coupled with a 5.3% rise y/y to reach 113.7 points. The rolling 12-month average growth rate improved to 5.4%, though still trailing behind the global average of 6.5%. A particularly noteworthy record came from Port Said East, which reported record-breaking throughput in May 2025. The East Mediterranean hub’s volume surged 20% m/m, and over 50% y/y, and 18% higher year-to-date compared to 2024.
Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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