Global container throughput continued to show resilience in September 2025 despite the drag on trade from US tariffs, according to the latest data from Container Trades Statistics (CTS).
While September volumes eased by 5.6% from August’s record high, they still reflected a solid year-on-year increase.
CTS data showed that after four consecutive months of global container volumes exceeding 16 million TEUs, September saw a moderation to just under that level, marking a month-on-month slowdown but maintaining a strong overall performance.
August 2025 set a new record with 16.8 million TEUs, the highest monthly volume ever recorded in the CTS database.
On a year-to-date basis, global container throughput for 2025 is up 4.4% compared with the same period in 2024.
Most regions posted growth, with notable gains in sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and Europe.
North America was the only region to record a slight decline, with imports down 0.5% year-to-date. Analysts attribute this to tariff-related frontloading earlier in the year, which temporarily dampened later demand.
Despite the regional dip, the broader market remains buoyant.
“The figures show that global trade flows continue to adapt and expand despite geopolitical and tariff pressures,” CTS noted.
Overall, the data suggest that the global container shipping market remains on a solid footing heading into the final quarter of 2025.
