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Global container volumes reached 16.6 million TEUs in November 2025, up 7% year on year
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November ranked as the third-strongest month of an already exceptional year
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On a monthly basis, November was the strongest month of 2025 with average liftings of 553,000 TEUs per day
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Global Price Index rose slightly in November but remained well below year-ago levels
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Import growth was broad-based, led by Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, while North America declined
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Exports increased across all regions, with strong growth from the Indian Sub-Continent and the Middle East
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Full-year 2025 container volumes are now on track for about 5% growth
Global container volumes climbed to 16.6 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in November 2025, marking the third-highest monthly total of the year and underscoring the sustained strength of the container shipping market despite mounting external pressures.
Volumes were up 7% compared with November 2024, 12% versus 2023, and 22% against 2022 levels, according to Container Trades Statistics’ latest press release.
Month-on-month growth was modest at just under 1%, but the achievement was notable given November’s 30-day span, according to Container Trades Statistics.
On a daily basis, November emerged as the strongest month of 2025, with average liftings of 553,000 TEUs per day. This exceeded August’s daily average of 543,000 TEUs, even though August retained the record for the highest total monthly volume.
By comparison, June, the second-strongest 30-day month of the year, recorded 16.2 million TEUs. Analysts noted that with an additional day, November would likely have surpassed August’s monthly record.
READ: Global container volume set for ‘record-breaking’ year in 2025
Pricing conditions showed early signs of stabilization. The Global Price Index ended a four-month decline in November, rising by two points to 75, returning to levels last seen in September 2025.
Despite the uptick, the index remained 20% below November 2024, highlighting continued pricing pressure amid strong volumes. The last comparable level was recorded in December 2023.
Regionally, year-to-date import performance through November showed growth across all regions except North America, which posted a 1.8% decline, equivalent to about 500,000 TEUs. The contraction was milder than earlier expectations driven by geopolitical concerns.
Sub-Saharan Africa led global growth in percentage terms, with imports up 17.1% year to date, reflecting the region’s rising importance as an emerging market in 2025. Growth was largely driven by increased cargo flows from North America and the Far East, both up by more than 25% on this trade lane.
Europe also recorded robust performance, with imports rising 7.4% year to date.
Growth was broadly distributed across exporting regions, with the exception of Australasia and Oceania.
In absolute terms, the Far East remained Europe’s dominant supplier, reinforcing the region’s persistent import-export imbalance. In November, Europe imported 3.4 TEUs from the Far East for every 1 TEU exported to the region.
On the export side, all regions posted year-to-date growth. The Indian Sub-Continent and Middle East led in percentage terms, with exports up 9.1%, supported by broadly diversified destination markets excluding Australasia and Oceania.
Exports from this region to Sub-Saharan Africa surged by more than 16%, underscoring the growing significance of emerging trade corridors.
The Far East recorded export growth of more than 6% year-to-date, with increased volumes to most regions, except North America, which saw a 3% decline. Even with this pullback, Far East-North America volumes remained at levels considered “healthy” by historical standards, CTS reported.
November’s strong showing runs counter to recent seasonal trends, as global container volumes have typically softened during the month over the past four years. The performance further reinforces the view that 2025 is an atypical year for the container shipping industry.
With momentum extending into the final months, full-year global container volumes are now firmly on track to post year-on-year growth of around 5%, despite persistent geopolitical, economic, and pricing headwinds.
