The post-Covid demand surge for container shipping appears to have run its course according to Drewry’s port throughput indices says Seatrade.
- The Drewry Global Port Throughput Index stood at 141.1 points in April 2022.
- Some 1.5% lower than April 2021.
- Up 1.7% on March 2022.
Demand Surge
The year-on-year was seen as a sign that the demand surge seen from Q3/Q4 2020 as the world came out of the first round of Covid lockdowns is now on the wane. The Container demand boom is coming to an end. “This is further evidence that the post-Covid demand boom appears to have run its course,” Drewry said.
Post-COVID
The post-Covid lockdown demand boom and supply chain congestion has taken the record rates to another level. The largest contributor to the global index- the Greater China region – saw a 1% drop to 150.1 points in April 2022 compared to a year earlier. “It was held back by poor performance at Shanghai where volumes fell 25% month-on-month due to the imposition of Covid lockdowns,” Drewry noted.
The West
European port volumes also fell by 3% in April 2022 compared to the same month in 2021 due to the impact of higher energy prices. This was caused by the Ukraine crisis. The only increases were in North America where volumes in April 2022 were up 4.5% on the previous year and Oceania with a 0.5% increase.
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Source: Seatrade
