JR Freight: July rail container transport volume down 7.8%, carload transport down 4.7%.

According to the July transportation trends released by Japan Freight Railway Company (JR Freight) on August 16, the total transportation volume for July was 2,302,000 tons, consisting of 123 million tons of containerized cargo (down 7.8% year-on-year) and 672,000 tons of carload cargo (down 4.7%).

<Container shipment volume in July> (Unit: thousand tons, %)

Amidst the continued instability in the Middle East, fluctuations in exchange rates and long-term interest rates are being observed, and concerns remain about the impact of the Kumamoto earthquake and heavy rain disasters on production activities and personal consumption. JR Freight has seen a continued decrease in shipments of food products, agricultural products, and fresh produce, resulting in this year's transportation performance being lower than the previous year.

Container shipments were down compared to the previous year, mainly due to a decrease in eco-related goods caused by a reduction in soil generated from the construction of the Chuo Shinkansen. Food and industrial products also saw a decrease in shipments, as shipments of soft drinks and beer did not increase due to lower temperatures nationwide compared to the previous year. Agricultural products and fresh produce were down compared to the previous year, partly due to the impact of shipments of stockpiled rice in the previous year, and partly due to a decrease in rice consumption this year. Overall, container shipments were down 92.2% compared to the previous year.

Freight freight was lower than the previous year due to strong cement production in the previous year. Overall freight freight was at 95.3% of the previous year's level. The combined total of container and freight freight was at 93.2% of the previous year's level.

JR Freight: July rail container transport volume down 4.0%, carload transport down 0.2%.