• Policy makers need real-time information for quick and efficient decision-making in response to events. Indicators from automatic identification system (AIS) that tracks ships are increasingly used in economic monitoring and analysis.

• The AIS-based indicators such as port traffic and time in port show that maritime transport was disrupted globally during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and at varying degrees in different ports in Asia and the Pacific.

• AIS-derived trade-related indicators such as port call and change in draft, when compared to official statistics, show potential for estimating and forecasting international trade flows in the region’s economies.

• Real-time AIS data can also support analysis and intervention in areas such as port infrastructure, shipping emissions, and impacts of climate change and disasters triggered by natural hazards.