Container exports from Japan to the United States dropped 8.6% year on year in October to 53,298 TEUs, according to Descartes Datamyne and as Japan International Freight Forwarders Association (JIFFA) reported. Volumes rebounded sharply from September, rising 26.7%. For the first ten months of the year, total exports reached 528,492 TEUs, down 2.4%.
Direct sailings accounted for 37,555 TEUs, a decline of 13.3%, while transshipped cargo increased 5.3% to 15,743 TEUs and represented nearly 30% of total volumes. South Korea remained the main transshipment hub, handling more than 11,000 TEUs.
Among Japanese ports, Tokyo, Nagoya, and Kobe all posted declines, while Yokohama edged higher. Osaka stood out with a sharp increase, driven by higher shipments of auto-related cargo.
By commodity, vehicle exports rose slightly, while machinery, plastics, and electronics recorded declines, reflecting continued pressure on Japan’s manufacturing-driven export flows.
