Global container shipments reached a record 17.3 million TEU in July, reflecting a 5.1% year-on-year growth for the first seven months of 2026.
Data from container trade statistics body CTS confirms that global container shipments reached an all-time record in July, totaling 17.3 million TEU - surpassing the previous peak recorded in May by approximately 25,000 TEU. For the first seven months of 2026, cumulative global container throughput reached 115.8 million TEU, representing year-on-year growth of 5.1%.
CTS stated that July was not an isolated instance of high trade volumes, highlighting that global container trade volumes for the first seven months of 2026 were 5.1% ahead of the same period in 2025, with July alone posting year-on-year growth of 4.5%. The organization also noted that, despite considerable market disruption, the underlying strength of global container trade remained pronounced, with volumes continuing to reach unprecedented levels.
At the regional level, Sub-Saharan Africa once again distinguished itself with standout performance, recording import growth of 14% for the first seven months of 2026. European imports advanced 6.1% over the same period.
A more complex picture emerges, however, when examining transpacific spot rate dynamics. Despite relatively subdued demand, spot rates on the transpacific trade lane have demonstrated sustained resilience. North American imports from the Far East reached 2.23 million TEU in July, representing year-on-year growth of 4.2%, while June volumes were notably stable - edging only 0.7% above June 2025 levels.
Xeneta Chief Analyst Peter Sand assessed the spot rate trajectory, observing that average spot rates from the Far East to the US East Coast had risen continuously since hostilities broke out in the Middle East in February and had climbed a further 25% since early July. Sand also noted that spot rates were now just 14% below their pandemic-era peak. He stated that while the probability of rates exceeding the pandemic peak was low, it could not be entirely ruled out, highlighting the extraordinary nature of current conditions.
Analysts further pointed out that the recent strength of transpacific spot rates was largely due to disciplined capacity management by liner operators rather than a surge in consumer demand. They emphasized that more than 4 million TEU of capacity remained constrained by port congestion, while restrictions at the Panama Canal continued to exert upward pressure on spot rates - factors collectively reinforcing the structural underpinnings of the current market environment.
