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 340 ports worldwide, representing over 80% of global volumes. The base point for indices, January 2019 = 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

• Drewry’s Global Container Port Throughput Index increased 1.3% MoM in August 2025, up 5.1% YoY. Meanwhile, the rolling 12-month growth rate fell to 5.9%, continuing the downward trend that started in May. However, YTD performance remains ahead of projections made earlier in the year, and the 2025 forecast has been raised to 4.7% in the September edition of Drewry’s Container Forecaster. The growth continues to be driven by the Middle East and South Asia region, up 8.1% YTD, with Europe (+6.6% YTD) the only other region to post above-average growth.”
• The Greater China Container Port Throughput Index rose 4.3% MoM in August 2025, up 5.4% YoY. The anticipated slowdown from the imposition of US tariffs has yet to materialise, with the deadline pushed back a further 90 days to 10 November 2025. Shanghai’s volumes jumped 8.8% MoM/11.5% YoY to a new monthly high of over 5 mteu. Throughput at Ningbo also surged 12.3% MoM/11.3% YoY to a new high—rising above 4 mteu for the first time
• The North American Container Port Throughput Index rose 0.4% MoM in August to 120.1 points, up 2.2% YoY.  Volumes at Long Beach and Los Angeles finally started to reduce in August, as the pre-tariff demand surge passed through the ports. Throughput fell 6% MoM at Los Angeles (down 0.2% YoY) and 4.5% MoM at Long Beach (down 1.3% YoY).
• The European Container Port Throughput Index fell 4.1% MoM in August, but remained up 4.9% YoY at 112.8 points. The rolling 12-month growth rate decreased to 6.7%. Volumes at Port Said East reduced slightly in August, falling 3.7% MoM but were still ahead by 58.1% YoY. Throughput at Alexandria is also growing, up 12.5% YoY. MoM performance was weaker at other key Mediterranean ports-volumes were flat in Valencia and fell 6.8% in Algeciras and 2.4% in Barcelona, while throughput decreased 8.6% at Piraeus and 17.4% at Ashdod.
  Source: Drewry