Japanese media: China sets new high for European shipping in the first half of the year
According to the report of Nihon Keizai Shimbun on August 27, in the first half of 2025 (January to June), the shipping container traffic volume from Asia to Europe reached a record high in the same period. This growth trend is mainly driven by the significant increase of China's exports to Europe. However, it is worth noting that China's exports to the United States have stagnated due to the intensified trade friction between the two countries; At the same time, the current lack of growth momentum in the European economy also creates uncertainty in the future prospects of goods transportation.
According to statistics from the Japan Maritime Center, from January to June this year, China's cargo transportation volume to Europe increased by 8.9% year-on-year, reaching 9.57 million 20 foot container equivalents, also setting a new historical peak for the same period. From the perspective of regional contribution, nearly 80% of the sea freight volume from Asia to Europe in the first half of the year originated from Greater China (covering mainland China and Hong Kong), and the transportation volume in this region increased by as much as 9.7% year-on-year, becoming the core force driving the overall sea freight volume growth from Asia to Europe.
Specifically in terms of product categories, most of the categories exported from China to Europe are showing a growth trend. The EU import data (January May) synchronously tracked by the Japan Maritime Center shows that the import scale of traditional advantageous export categories such as electrical equipment, mechanical equipment, and home bedding has maintained strong growth, further supporting the demand for European shipping.
The analysis of the report points out that the growth of China's exports to Europe is directly related to the escalation of trade frictions between the United States and China. Trump's previous significant increase in tariffs on Chinese goods prompted China to adjust its export strategy and shift some of its original share of exports to the European and Southeast Asian markets by increasing market development efforts. Professor Takuma Matsuda from Kanagawa University, who focuses on research in the field of maritime transportation, also holds a similar view. He said, "The increase in China's exports to regions outside the United States in the first half of the year was a key factor driving the increase in maritime cargo transportation volume during the same period
However, the current stagnation of the European economy still needs attention - the market generally believes that European consumers' demand for consumer goods and other commodities has not shown strong signs of recovery. If the European economy can gradually break free from stagnation in the future, or if there are potential factors driving further growth in sea freight volume, such as Germany's planned large-scale fiscal stimulus measures, it is expected to have a positive impact on local demand and subsequent freight volume.