JAPAN's container exports to the United States in January reached 53,695 TEU marking a 10.4 per cent increase from the previous month and a significant 17.9 per cent rise compared to January 2023.

According to the Japan International Freight Forwarders Association (JIFFA), directly routed containers accounted for 33,583 TEU, experiencing a substantial 42.5 per cent year-on-year surge, reports Greece's Container News.

In contrast, transshipped containers saw an 8.4 per cent decline to 20,112 TEU, comprising 37.5 per cent of the total volume. This marks a notable drop from the 48.3 per cent share recorded in January 2023.

Also, transshipments in South Korea decreased marginally by 5.4 per cent to 14,118 TEU last month, showing a robust 46.5 per cent increase from December 2023. However, transshipments in China and Taiwan both witnessed double-digit contractions, with declines of 13 per cent to 2,521 TEU and 24.9 per cent to 1,887 TEU, respectively.

In terms of port of origin, Tokyo accounted for 13,289 TEU in January, marking a notable 30.4 per cent increase from the previous year. Nagoya and Kobe followed with 9,755 TEU and 7,741 TEU, respectively, showing robust growth rates of 38.8 per cent and 43.5 per cent.

Meanwhile, Yokohama saw a significant surge of 350.1 per cent, shipping 2,138 TEU, maintaining triple-digit growth since May 2023. However, containers from Shimizu experienced a decline of 18.6 per cent to 254 TEU.