Drewry Port Throughput Index in August Was 1.7% Above Last Year

The Drewry Container Port Throughput Indices are a series of calendar adjusted volume growth/decline indices based on monthly throughput data for a sample of over 235 ports worldwide, representing over 75% of global volumes. The base point for the indices is January 2012 = 100.

Drewry has developed a nowcasting model that uses vessel capacity and terminal duration data (derived from our proprietary AIS model) to make short-term predictions of port throughput.

Drewry’s latest assessment – October 2022
The Drewry Global Port Throughput Index dropped 0.5% MoM in August 2022, but at 143.7 points was 1.7% above the level recorded in August 2021. The rolling 12-month average growth rate dropped to 0.4% (vs. 0.6% in July 2022). Drewry’s nowcasting model estimates that the Global Port Throughput Index dropped 4.2% MoM/3.4% YoY in September 2022 – nowcasting of regional port throughput is available to subscribers of Drewry’s Ports and Terminals Insight.

Despite ongoing congestion across the USEC ports, North America made the biggest contribution to the rise in the global index in August, but with Greater China volumes falling MoM in August the global outlook remains gloomy. The Drewry Greater China Port Throughput Index recorded 2.8% MoM decline in August 2022.

In August 2022, the Drewry Middle East and South Asia Throughput Index rose 1.8% MoM to 139 points, 4.5% more than in August 2021. Strong growth at Dammam is due to the low base in August 2021 when port traffic dropped steeply after the Saudi Arabian government made changes to tariffs, impacting imports from the UAE freezones.

The Drewry Oceania Port Throughput Index climbed 10.4% MoM to 152.3 points in August 2022, up 12.5% YoY. However, as the smallest of the world regions analysed by Drewry, there is more volatility in this regional index than others.
Source: Drewry