FAQs

World Liner Data Ltd (WLDL) is a not-for-profit private English company limited by guarantee, established initially by European Liner Affairs Association (ELAA) members as of September 30th, 2010. WLDL’s primary role is to collect and manage global data on behalf of its members and non-member carriers, making it available to third parties as necessary.

WLDL’s head office is at:

One Crown Square
Church Street East
Woking
GU21 6HR
United Kingdom

Container Trades Statistics Ltd (CTS) is an independent private company incorporated under English law. It operates under a commercial services and agency agreement with WLDL, managing all activities, providing data management services, and acting as WLDL’s agent with respect to data sales.

CTS’s head office is at:

One Crown Square
Church Street East
Woking
GU21 6HR
United Kingdom

The database covers trades between various regions, including:

• Australasia & Oceania
• Europe
• Far East
• Indian Sub-Continent & Middle East
• North America
• South & Central America
• Sub Saharan Africa
• Intra-Regional (Non-Feeder)

Specific countries and ports included in each region can be found by accessing the Reporting Locations document.

Please note that for volumes at country and port level, you may be subjected to the safety mechanism.

(Refer to the “What is the Safety Mechanism” FAQ below)

As standard, our volume reports come as follows:

• Region to region
• Sub-region to sub-region
• Country to country
• Port to port
• Import/exports
• Dry and reefer split option for all the above

As standard, our price indices come as follows:

• Region to region
• Sub-region to sub-region
• Dry and reefer split option for all the above

CTS can offer bespoke options for both TEU volumes and price indices i.e. Shanghai to Brazil.

Monthly data is determined based on the date of sailing from the last port of load in the route’s origin region.

Current Data: The time lag for release of current data is one month, e.g. January figures are issued on or around the 5th working day of March.

Historical Data: When trade volumes are considered historical, meaning they are no longer sensitive for commercial reasons, they become exempt from the safety mechanisms. This exemption allows for the data to be fully visible without any hidden information.

Time Lag for Data to Become Historical: The duration for data to transition into historical status varies across different countries.

Publication Time Lags for Historical Volumes at country or port level only:

6 Months: Europe (except non-EU countries*) including UK, Israel and Russia; and New Zealand to and from:

• Australasia & Oceania
• South & Central America
• Sub Saharan Africa

3 Months: Europe (except non-EU countries*) including UK, Israel and Russia; and New Zealand to and from:

• The Far East
• Indian Sub-Continent & Middle East
• North America
• Europe

All trades to and from:

• Hong Kong
• India

All trades to/from:

• South Africa other than Europe (except non-EU countries*), including the UK, Israel and Russia; and New Zealand, which are 6 months; see above.

Additionally, it applies to all trades to and from South Africa except those specified in the 6-month category.

1 Month: For all other trades not covered by the above categories.

Exception for Non-EU Countries: A list of non-EU countries is provided, along with a note that these countries have different rules for determining historical data.

• Albania
• Algeria
• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Belarus
• Bosnia
• Egypt
• Georgia
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgystan
• Lebanon
• Libya
• Macedonia
• Moldova
• Morocco
• Serbia & Montenegro
• Syria
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Ukraine
• Uzbekistan

The WLDL Information Exchange System and the underlying database are subject to various competition laws relevant to the geographical scope of WLDL’s activities. Based on information provided to WLDL by its lawyers, which has been agreed by the Members of WLDL, a Safety Mechanism is applied to specific trades, namely: all trades to and from the EU countries of Europe; all trades to and from Russia; all trades to and from Israel; all trades to and from the Republic of India; all trades to and from the Republic of South Africa; all trades to and from Hong Kong; all trades to and from New Zealand. The purpose of the Safety Mechanism is to ensure there is no risk of disaggregation resulting in the disclosure of individual lines’ current data.

Data of any significance blocked through the application of the Safety Mechanism will be transferred to a separate category, “other” (representing the remaining volume to ports of lesser relevance).

Where data has been hidden, an asterisk (*) will show in the relevant cell.

An asterisk (*) highlights a value that has been “hidden” when that value has failed the Safety Mechanism, removing the risk of disaggregation.

Historical reports are not subject to the Safety Mechanism; therefore no data is hidden.

Unusually high figures may occur in “Other” locations due to the grouping of data that failed the Safety Mechanism into specific categories to maintain accurate sub-trade totals.

APIs are published around the 5th working day of each month, with a time lag of one month, similar to volume reports.

APIs are published for global trades at region-to-region and sub-region levels, categorised by container type (Dry and Reefer).

Bespoke API options are available upon request.

The CTS APIs include all associated costs with shipping a Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) quay to quay:

• Basic Ocean rate from lines’ B/L port of loading to B/L port of discharge, including feeders Special Equipment Additional
• Hazardous Cargo Additional
• Congestion Surcharge
• Currency Adjustment Factor (CAF)
• Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF) – including Low Sulphur Fuel Additional
• Terminal Handling Charge (Origin and Destination)
• EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) surcharge
• Any other charge relating to the sea leg

APIs may change due to retroactive restatements of previously input data by lines, which can affect the weighted rate levels based on manifest amendments.

After three months, the database is locked, and no further amendments are allowed.

Please note if an API changes, you will be notified via email.

Actual freight rates are not disclosed to comply with legal requirements and EU regulations.