Container Trades Statistics (CTS) data show that Asia-Europe volumes increased 7.4 per cent in 2014, representing more than one million TEU year on year, reports Lloyd's Loading List.

Headhaul westbound volumes were helped by robust traffic early in the year with growth slowing in the fourth quarter. But backhaul was slower, said CTS.

Westbound volume increased 7.6 per cent year on year to 15.4 million TEU. The numbers compare with 13.6 million TEU in 2012 and 14.2 million TEU in 2011.

Eastbound 2014 volumes were 1.3 per cent more to seven million TEU, despite a year-end uplift when December liftings were 7.4 per cent more than 12 months earlier.

CTS aggregates data from member lines and then rounds them up to give an estimate for the whole trade. Its price index ended 2014 at 82, against 85 a year earlier and 93 at the start of 2013. Despite healthy volumes, rates were poor.

The Asia-Europe index was down to 70 by December, against 92 at the beginning of the year. The indices are based on the 2008 quarterly average equalling 100.