The volume of containerised shipments exported to the US from 10 major countries and regions in Asia plunged 16.6% year-on-year to 926,673TEU in March, as cargo from China decreased notably due to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, according to American research company Descartes Datamyne
In the first three months (January-March), a total of 3,489,831TEU were moved on the route, down 8.3%.
Looking at containers from Asia by origin, those from China plummeted 36% to 360,083TEU, coming close to the 350,000TEU registered in February 2009, a month still under the influence of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy. Containers from South Korea decreased a slight 0.4% to 163,398TEU.
By contrast, those from Taiwan were brisk, improving 7.7% to 86,614TEU, while exports from Vietnam, surged 46.1% to 84,675TEU, enjoying a year-on-year increase for 16 months in a row, followed by Singapore’s 58,192TEU, up 0.9% on year.
India exported 43,737TEU, up 6.1%, achieving year-on-year growth for the 23rd consecutive month. Containers from Japan remained largely unchanged, hiking a minute 0.4% to 41,896TEU.