Container volumes from Japan to the U.S. reached 54,422 TEUs in August, marking a 6.2% year-on-year increase for the second consecutive month, according to Descartes Datamyne.
Direct shipments totaled 32,779 TEUs, down 7.1%. Transshipped containers, however, surged 35.7% to 21,643 TEUs, pushing their share to nearly 40% of total shipments.
South Korea handled 14,347 TEUs in transshipment, up 31.9%. Containers routed through China more than doubled to 4,375 TEUs, driven by Shanghai’s rising throughput following a new alliance. Taiwan’s transshipments rose 30.7% to 2,160 TEUs, while Singapore saw a sharp decline of 87.4% to just 122 TEUs.
By commodity, nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery, and related parts (HS84) totaled 12,947 TEUs, up 1.5%. Vehicles and related parts (HS87) reached 11,055 TEUs, down 3.1%. Rubber products surged 41.3% to 6,720 TEUs, while plastics and related items grew 1.1% to 5,169 TEUs.
In the January-August period, vehicle shipments fell 8.7%, reflecting the impact of U.S. tariffs. Meanwhile, electrical products and rubber goods continued to grow.
