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Global container shipping volumes reached a record 17.46 million TEUs in August 2026, surpassing the previous all-time high set just a month earlier, according to data released by Container Trades Statistics Ltd
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Year-to-date volumes are running 4.7% higher than 2025; CTS says YTD growth has held around 5% or higher for most of 2026
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August 2026 volumes were up 3.7% over August 2025
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CTS’s Global Price Index climbed to 117 points in August, up two points month-on-month and roughly 50% higher since January 2026
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On imports, every region posted year-to-date growth except the Indian Sub-Continent & Middle East, down 5%
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On exports, the Indian Sub-Continent & Middle East was again the lone decliner, down 10% YTD (nearly 1 million fewer TEUs) while the Far East led global export growth, up 8% YTD
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CTS flags headwinds: high fuel prices, Gulf disruption, Panama Canal issues, changing tariffs, and slowing growth despite record volumes
Global container shipping volumes climbed to a record 17.46 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in August 2026, surpassing the previous all-time high set just a month earlier, according to data released by Container Trades Statistics Ltd (CTS).
Year-to-date volumes are now running 4.7% above 2025 levels, continuing a trend CTS said has held at roughly 5% growth or higher through much of 2026 despite a more complex global trade environment.
August’s volumes were 3.7% higher than the same month in 2025, 7.2% higher than August 2024, and 12.9% higher than August 2023, underscoring the scale of growth over a multi-year horizon.
READ: Global container volumes hit record 17.3M TEUs in July – CTS
Alongside record volumes, freight rates also climbed. CTS’s Global Price Index rose to 117 points in August, up 2 points from the previous month and about 50% higher since January 2026. That marks the index’s highest level since July 2024, when rates spiked amid disruptions to shipping routes through the Red Sea.
The index is now 44% higher than it was in August 2025.
Import and export growth
On the import side, every region tracked by CTS posted year-to-date growth except the Indian Sub-Continent & Middle East, where imports fell 5% compared with the same period in 2025.
North American imports turned positive, up 2% year-to-date, continuing a gradual recovery that began in May after months of negative growth earlier in the year.
CTS attributed the turnaround in part to stronger Transpacific trade, now up 5% year-to-date. Sub-Saharan Africa recorded the strongest import growth of any region, up 13%.
Export trends followed a similar pattern. The Indian Sub-Continent & Middle East was again the only region to post a year-to-date decline, down 10%, equivalent to roughly 1 million fewer TEUs than the same period in 2025.
The Far East led global export growth, up 8% year-to-date, adding approximately 6.3 million TEUs, with every destination market for Far East cargo posting gains, led in percentage terms by Sub-Saharan Africa and South & Central America.
European exports returned to roughly flat year-to-date growth, an improvement from the negative figures recorded in earlier months of 2026.
Pricing pressure
CTS said the August data shows global container volumes remain resilient despite elevated fuel prices, disruption in the Gulf, Panama Canal capacity constraints, and shifting tariff conditions.
The firm cautioned, however, that the pace of month-on-month growth will be worth monitoring in the coming months as a signal of whether momentum is beginning to slow even as absolute volumes stay at record highs.
With freight rates also elevated, CTS said the relationship between volume growth and pricing pressure will be a key trend to watch heading into the final quarter of 2026.
