Global container throughput hit a record monthly high in July 2026, showing the strength of international trade, even as carriers and shippers continue to face operational restrictions and disruptions linked to the Iran war.
Global container lifting grew to 17.3 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in July, revised carrier data from Container Trade Statistics (CTS) showed. The figure surpasses the previous monthly record of around 25,000 TEUs set in May 2026.
The year-to-date numbers also point to the strength of the market. Container volumes increased 5.1% year-over-year through July, and July volumes increased 4.5% year-over-year.
Freight rates hit 2-year highs
Volumes are still growing but freight rates are rising very quickly. The CTS Global Price Index reached 115 points in July 2026, up seven points on June, and up 47% since the beginning of the year.
That was up 37% from July 2025. It began to rise in Feb 2026 when the Persian Gulf crisis began.
The market has not witnessed index levels of this magnitude since August 2024. Geopolitical disruption and operational pressure are combining to push freight rates sharply higher even as container volumes continue to climb.
In the first seven months of 2026 imports year-to-date were up in almost all major regions. The only major exception was the Indian Sub-Continent & Middle East where imports declined by 4.2%.
But the largest year-to-date increase was in Sub-Saharan Africa, 14%. Asia origin cargo contributed to that performance, adding almost 700,000 TEUs over 2025.
North America’s imports into sub-Saharan Africa were also up almost 15% year to date, bolstering signs that Africa is playing a larger role in global container flows.
Import growth was also strong in Europe. Year to date volumes rose 6.1%, with Far East cargo adding some 1.5 million more TEUs year on year.
European demand for vehicles made in China is helping to bolster strength in the Far East-Europe trade lane. Some of these vehicle shipments could be moving through the container services as traditional car-carrier operations come under capacity and cost pressure.
Patterns of exports reaffirm the centrality of the Far East.
Export figures are another indicator of the shifting balance in global container flows.
European exports fell 0.7% and exports to the Indian Sub-Continent & Middle East were down 8.5% year-to-date, the biggest fall.
Europe’s weaker export performance was mainly due to weak demand growth in most destination markets. The only exception is sub-Saharan Africa, where European exports to the Indian sub-continent and the Middle East are down more than 10% year to date.
Europe’s strong import performance and relatively sluggish export performance are widening the gap.
Asia remained the most powerful engine of export growth. Asian exports are up nearly 9% year to date, or nearly 6 million additional TEUs.
All destination regions grew, with Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa in particular making strong contributions.
So the July record comes against a complex backdrop. Global demand for containers remains remarkably strong, but geopolitical tensions, operational disruptions and rising freight costs are reshaping the economics of international shipping. However, the latest data from CTS shows that despite these pressures, the global container trade has not lost momentum.
