The unprecedented economic downturn is fundamentally challenging the direction of future trade relations and their corresponding physical flows. From this paradigm shift in globalization lessons can thus be drawn with respect to traffic and throughput forecasting. First it would suit all those that try to develop prognoses of future activity to be extremely modest. The likelihood that the estimated figures really will be achieved is virtually nonexistent and yet too many factors influence results. After all seaborne traffic and demand for port handling are derived demands, a factor that has frequently been overlooked in a recent past. It is as if it was implied that any additional capacity would be fulfilled with a corresponding demand. But, one has also to acknowledge that even a general economic downturn has very different effects in various parts of the world.