Asia-Europe box numbers maintain downward trend
CTS figures reveal volumes fell 2.4% in August, representing the fourth month in a row box numbers have been down on last year. While Asia-Europe trade volumes have suffered at the hands of weak performances most notably in Germany and the UK, the transpacific trade continues to reap the rewards of a booming US economy. But with another round of US tariffs enforced on Chinese imports there are question marks as to how long this positive trend will last.
Year-to-date volume growth on the Asia-Europe trade through to the end of August stood at a measly 0.1%, while on the transpacific volumes were up 5.4% during the same period on 2017