The southbound Asia-West Africa container trade scored 10% demand growth in 2017, but this hasn’t translated into higher freight rates due to ongoing over-capacity.

Container traffic on the southbound Asia to West Africa trade grew at its fastest rate in at least five years in 2017, rising by 9.6% to 1.2 million teu, according to revised data from Container Trade Statistics.

However, last year’s headhaul volume was still some 13% below what was carried in 2014 before the slump in oil prices inflicted so much damage on the major oil exporting nations in the region.