Container Exports Down 28.4% Year over Year

Although ocean container exports edged upward for the first time this year, they continue to stay well below last year’s levels – down 28.4% year-over-year.

Meanwhile, imports grew slightly after a strong surge in March.

According to Cass Information Systems, export container shipments returned to the growth column in April, increasing 2.8 percent after declining throughout the first three months of the year. But even though they rose in April they were still 28.4 percent lower than they were a year ago.

From a year-to-date perspective, ocean container exports are 27.6 percent lower than at the end of 2014. The Institute for Supply Management’s PMI index for new export orders rose 8.4 percent in April, with growth reported in textile mills, furniture and related products, paper products, miscellaneous manufactured products and five other categories.

This is the first sign of growth in new export orders in 2015.

The import container index rose 6.5 percent in April, much less than the 17.3 percent jump in March. Container imports are 5.0 percent lower compared to the same month in 2014. Year-to-date container imports are still 15.1 percent lower than they were at the end of 2014.

Category: Featured, General Update