According to data from container logistics platform Container xChange, pickup charges from China to Europe Med for 40-ft-high cube boxes increased 9.7% from week 1 to week 5 in 2023.
Concurrently, Container xChange’s “Container Availability Index” (CAx) showed congestion at ports in China in January has increased in the new year.
Christian Roeloffs, cofounder and CEO of Container xChange, said, “The CAx readings stay elevated as compared to last three years across the ports of Shanghai, Ningbo, Tianjin and more. This indicates more inbound containers and few outbound containers… the rebound of trade in China, and hence the container trade rebound, will depend on the pace of the reopening in China, that is, how quickly do production volumes return to normal there.”