Italian ports handled nearly 250 million tonnes of cargo in H1 2025, with container traffic up 2.6% and passenger numbers rising 5.8%.
Italian ports moved almost 250 million tonnes of cargo in the first half of 2025, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 1.2%, according to reports from Saint Petersburg's PortNews.
The growth was primarily driven by container traffic, which rose by 2.6%, and solid bulk cargo, which saw an impressive increase of 18.9%. However, liquid bulk traffic experienced a decline of 3.5%, and Ro-Ro traffic fell by 1%.
Passenger activity also saw a significant uptick, with ports accommodating nearly 30 million passengers, marking a 5.8% increase. Notably, cruise passengers reached 5.6 million, also reflecting a 5.8% rise.
In terms of infrastructure and decarbonization efforts, progress has been made in the implementation of shore power, with 25 cold-ironing connection points either contracted or installed across various Italian ports.
The report emphasized the importance of intra-Mediterranean container traffic. It is projected that global seaborne trade will reach 12.8 billion tonnes in 2025, with the container sector expected to grow by 14% by 2029. In 2024, the Mediterranean surpassed Northern Europe, handling over 82 million TEU compared to 61 million TEU.
Short-sea traffic among EU countries in the Mediterranean totals nearly 630 million tonnes. The top three Mediterranean container ports—Tanger Med, Valencia, and Port Said—have all shown growth in the first half of 2025.
The leading five carriers by intra-Mediterranean fleet capacity account for 66.6% of the total capacity. Assoporti, the Association of Italian Ports, represents Italy's port system authorities and serves as an institutional coordination body.
