Global seaborne container trade in June 2026 was 5.5% higher than in the same month of 2025, according to provisional figures from Container Trades Statistics. The disruption in the Persian Gulf weighed heavily on exports from the Middle East and Indian Subcontinent, which fell by 9.1%, although imports into the region still increased by 1.7% as carriers found ways to work around the restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz. North America was the only other major region to record declines in both directions, with imports down by 0.2% and exports falling by 1.7%.
The year-on-year comparisons show that for the last two months the worldwide container trade has been growing faster than in the same months of 2025. It is yet to be seen whether this trend will continue.
The cumulative January-June figures show a broadly similar pattern, with particularly sharp declines on trades originating in the Middle East and Indian Subcontinent, where exports fell by 8.3%. Exports from Europe also contracted slightly, by 0.6%. Imports into the Middle East and Indian Subcontinent were especially weak, declining by 4.1%, while all other major importing regions recorded growth. Overall seaborne container trade increased by 5.2%, despite contractions on 16 individual trades.
Source: DynaLiners 32/26 – 07 August 2026
