Global maritime centers are showing signs of recovery, with Drewry’s Global Container Port Throughput Index rising by 1.4% from April and 5.4% year-on-year. The full report can be accessed here. According to IndexBox data, the rolling 12-month average global port handling growth rate held steady at 6.5% for the third consecutive month.

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In Greater China, the Container Port Throughput Index slightly declined by 0.4% month-over-month to 124.9 points, although it showed a 4.5% increase compared to the previous year. Shanghai led the growth with a remarkable 10.2% surge in volumes. Meanwhile, North America’s Container Port Throughput Index faced challenges, dropping by 8% month-on-month to 109.3 points, impacted by tariffs introduced in April. Despite this, the index still achieved a 2.7% year-on-year growth, supported by a robust 10.1% rolling 12-month average growth rate.

European ports displayed resilience, with the Container Port Throughput Index increasing by 3.7% from April to May and 5.3% year-on-year, reaching 113.7 points. Port Said East in the East Mediterranean set a record with a 20% month-on-month and over 50% year-on-year surge in May 2025.

In contrast, major North American ports like Long Beach and Los Angeles experienced significant declines, with throughput falling 26.3% and 15% month-on-month, respectively. However, Vancouver and Mexico’s Lazaro Cardenas saw positive year-on-year volume growth, with increases of 13.9% and 12.6% respectively.

Source: IndexBox Market Intelligence Platform