Container volumes continue to decline in China, the US and Europe

http://www.eyefortransport.com/content/container-volumes-continue-decline-china-us-and-europe

Container throughput at various ports continues to decline, with only three of China's Top 10 ports showing a negligible increase in volumes.
China's biggest port in terms of volumes - Shanghai - handled 5.61 million TEU in the period January - March 2009, down 15% compared with same period last year.
Throughput for Shenzhen (3.88 million TEU) and Guagngzhou (2,15 million TEU) were down 21% and 24% respectively.
By comparison, the Port of Los Angeles handled 1.53 million TEU in the first quarter of this year, down 17.43%.
The Port of Rotterdam handled 2.25 million TEU in Q1 2009, down 16% compared with 2.68 million TEU during the same period last year, and the Port of Antwerp handled 1.74 million TEU, down 16.3% from 2.07 million TEU in Q1 2008.
Hans Smits, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, says that throughput is expected to decline by between 6% and 10% for the whole year.