Drewry’s Global Container Port Throughput Index fell 3.3% MoM in July

The Drewry Container Port Throughput Index declined by 3.3% month-over-month in July, marking a 1.3% year-over-year decrease. This follows a 12-month average growth rate of 3.8%, the lowest in over two years. Global throughput growth slowed to 2.2% year-to-date in July. The month's main concerns were capacity pressures, caused by three typhoons disrupting operations at the world's two largest ports. Despite stable port operations in North and Southeast Asia, Busan faced increased pressure due to China's closures.

In July, the Greater China Container Port Throughput Index dropped by 6.6% month-over-month, rising by 1.1% year-over-year. Chinese ports operated at high utilization levels during the first half of 2026, resulting in congestion at major ports. This was exacerbated by the typhoons, adding to capacity strain.

The North American Container Port Throughput Index increased by 0.6% month-over-month in July, but down by 1.0% year-over-year. While volumes were up regionally, major gateways Los Angeles and Long Beach saw declines of 5.8% and 1.7% respectively in July.

The European Container Port Throughput Index fell by 1.3% month-over-month in July, down by 2.2% year-over-year. The top three ports in Northwest Europe had a difficult start to the year, with June volumes at Antwerp-Bruges down by 1.5%. However, Bremerhaven bucked the trend with a 6.3% growth.