Container rates on services from Asia to Europe surpassed the average 2008 level for the first time in January, according to data from the European Liner Affairs Association (ELAA).

The ELAA figures show that rates on the trade in January were around 4% higher than the 2008 average, the only European trade lane to achieve this.

Both eastbound and westbound volumes on the trade experienced double-digit year-on-year growth in January.

Westbound volumes totalled 1.1m teu, 10.5% up on January 2009, while eastbound volumes, at 419,000teu, were up 35% on last year.