COVID19-related small-scale shocks aggregated over time now impacting shippers and freights in several regional markets
In addition to the updates on vessel calls, hinterland delays, capacity utilization and port personnel availability, the WPSP-IAPH Port Economic Impact Barometer report for week 50 asked the world’s ports to indicate how the share of empty containers in total container throughput evolved in the past three months compared to the same period in 2019.
The survey for the Barometer for week 50 is still dominated by respondents from Europe (46.2%). However it does have a relatively even spread of sample ports from the rest of the globe with 15.5% from Central and South America, 9.2% from North American ports, 18.4% from North Asia, South East Asia and Australasia, 9.2% from Africa and 1.5% from Middle East-Central Asia.
One out of four reporting ports are dealing with a higher than normal number of empty containers. Another 15% report that the share of empty containers in total container throughput stands at a lower or much lower percentage. So of the ports surveyed, approximately 40% are experiencing a different pattern in throughput of empty containers at the terminals in their ports.
The number of ports that reported a significant imbalance compared to last year stands at 8%. 6% of ports reported the presence of much lower numbers of empties. Just over 60% of other ports responding to the survey reported a rather stable share of loaded and empty containers…
