Japan’s six major ports handled 1.21 million TEUs of oceangoing containers in March, increasing 1.2% year-on-year. Export growth supported the increase, while imports declined during the month. Export volumes reached 616,578 TEUs, up 4.8%, while imports fell 2.2% to 594,926 TEUs.
Tokyo remained the largest container gateway among the six ports. The port handled 353,753 TEUs, down 0.8% year-on-year. Exports increased strongly by 9.4% to 167,458 TEUs. Imports moved lower, declining 8.4% to 186,295 TEUs.
Kawasaki recorded the sharpest decline among the major ports. Throughput dropped 20.4% to 7,225 TEUs. Export volumes decreased 14.2% to 3,755 TEUs, while imports fell 26.1% to 3,470 TEUs.
Yokohama delivered stronger results. The port handled 252,648 TEUs, increasing 6.3%. Export volumes rose 6.2% to 138,387 TEUs. Imports also increased 6.3% to 114,261 TEUs.
Nagoya experienced weaker activity. Container volumes declined 2.2% to 223,498 TEUs. Exports slipped 1.7% to 116,463 TEUs, while imports dropped 2.8% to 107,035 TEUs.
Osaka posted moderate growth. The port handled 183,288 TEUs, up 1.8%. Exports increased 11.6% to 88,395 TEUs. Imports fell 5.8% to 94,893 TEUs.
Kobe also expanded throughput during the month. The port processed 191,092 TEUs, increasing 3.4%. Export volumes edged down 0.9% to 102,120 TEUs, but imports rose 8.8% to 88,972 TEUs.
The latest figures show export demand continuing to support Japan’s container sector despite softer import performance across several major gateways.
