East bound freight from Europe to Asia has begun to increase: figures show that the volume of cargo bound for the east increased 10% in August in comparison with the same period last year. Some of this increase is accounted for by waste products, but in China companies which are manufacturing finished goods for the European market are importing more raw materials, presumably in response to their customers. The autumn usually sees an increase in manufactured goods from China to the European countries as purchasers increase their inventories of seasonal goods for the pre-Christmas period, but at the moment volumes are still down year on year.