European carriers see uptick in shipments to Asia

European carriers see uptick in shipments to Asia    The European Liner Affairs Association, reporting trade statistics for May had a rare piece of good news about the container industry.
   Shipments to the Far East increased 8 percent to 487,552 TEUs, and shipments to the Indian subcontinent and Middle East were up 2 percent to 207,966 TEUs, compared to the year earlier period.
   But the organization said business was down in May in the other direction. Westbound volumes from the Far East were down 20 percent to 932,652 TEUs and slipped 11 percent to 121,166 TEU from the Indian Subcontinent and Middle East.
   Transatlantic trade is down in both directions, said ELAA. Westbound volumes from Europe to North America fell 18 percent to 234,800 TEUs and eastbound volumes dropped 38 percent to 197,200 TEUs.