Throughput weakens but retail traffic predicted to rise

However, cargo volumes at the top US imported retail handling ports are predicted to remain at last year’s level through this summer before turning upward in the autumn.

Seven out of the nine largest container ports in the world recorded volume declines, with Qingdao and Ningbo reporting strong double-digit growth while volumes largely stagnated at Hong Kong and Shenzhen, the weakest performers amongst the main ports so far this year, according to a report from Alphaliner.

Overall volumes at these nine ports grew by 7.2% in the first six months of the year, with growth again led by the main Chinese ports, although the performance was uneven.