Intermodal volumes continue to see declines, reports IANA

Intermodal volume declines were largely intact in March and for the first quarter of 2019, according to data recently provided to LM by Intermodal Association of North America (IANA).

妈rch volume came in at 1,521,012 for a 3.7% annual decline. Trailers saw the steepest decline, down 12.1% to 112,490. Domestic containers, at 638,673, were down 5.5%, and all domestic equipment, at 751,163, dropped 6.6%. International, or ISO, containers, at 769,849, were off 0.7%.

Total first quarter volume, at 4,477,750, was down 1.5% annually. Domestic containers, at 1,821,938, were off 4.1%, and trailers, at 336,227, were down 5.4%, marking the largest decline among IANA volume segments. All domestic equipment, at 2,158,165, was off 4.3%. ISO containers, at 4,477,750, fell 1.5%.

In a recent interview, IANA President and CEO Joni Casey said that those tough annual comparisons were apparent in these numbers, as “lower level of imports, due to previous ‘pull forward’ [due to tariffs on U.S.-bound shipments from China] and the Lunar New Year, which also impacted domestic container volumes.”

IANA has previously stated that, in regards to solid ISO volumes, that rising container import volume has served as the main reason for segment growth, adding that barring any sort of change to trade policy, that growth should remain intact in the short-term, paced by solid mostly economic fundamentals, in light of recent signals indicating a global trade slowdown could be coming.

But should large tariffs be applied to Chinese imports, IANA said it could have a “significant impact on ISO container volume,” which would be a cause for concern, as 47% of U.S. container volume originates in China.