The handling of containers from the two terminals of the Piraeus Container Terminal (PCT) was on a positive track in the eight months of 2023, as a result of the gradual recovery of trade to European markets.
According to data from Cosco Shipping Ports, in August 2023 a total of 410.4 thousand containers were handled from piers II and III of the Piraeus Container Station, compared to 373.1 thousand in the same month of 2022, an increase of 10%. Between January and August 2023, the handling of containers showed an increase of 4.7% compared to the same period in 2022.
More specifically, a total of about 3.046 million containers were handled in the eight months of 2023, compared to about 2.908 million in the corresponding period of 2022. The total handling of containers in August 2023 in the 35 ports controlled by Cosco Shipping Ports, a member of the Cosco Shipping Group, increased by 1.5% on an annual basis.
More specifically, in August 2023 a total of approximately 9.260 million containers were handled against 9.155 million containers in the same month of 2022. Among the ports with the strongest recovery in August 2023 was Beibu Gulf Port in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, where it saw its cargo handling increase by 30.4%.
In August 2023, 733.8 thousand containers were handled, compared to 562.7 thousand in relation to the same month of 2022. Also, at the port of Xiamen Ocean Gate, the handling of containers increased by 22.4% in August 2023, after 259.6 thousand containers were handled compared to 212.1 thousand in the same month of 2022.
Piraeus port, the fourth largest in the EU
In the first half of 2023, 13 of Europe’s top 15 ports showed a decrease in container traffic, due to low demand, but also the effects of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
According to the PortEconomics platform, only the ports of Piraeus and Gioia Tauro in southern Italy recorded an increase in traffic volumes.
The port of Piraeus showed a 4.9% increase in the first half of 2023 while that of Gioia Tauro recorded a rise of 2.5%.
The six-month growth figures (provisionally) make Piraeus the fourth largest port in the EU after Rotterdam, Antwerp-Bruges and Hamburg.
It is noted that the port of Valencia in the first half of 2023 reached 2.36 million TEUs, recording a drop compared to the corresponding half of 2022 by 11.2%.
China
China, in terms of volumes, had a very strong half-year period in exports. According to Alphaliner, the total volume processed by the country’s ports reached 149.2 MTEUs, an increase of 4.8%. Shanghai posted an impressive 5.3% year-on-year growth despite a poor first-quarter performance following congestion and Covid-19-related issues. A total of 23,730,000 containers were handled from the port of Shanghai in the first half of the year, compared to 22,530,000 in the same period of 2022.
The northern port of Qingdao continued its rise in the rankings, surpassing both Shenzhen and Guangzhou in the first half of 2023, to reach 4th place after adding 1.47 MTEUs to the half’s traffic.
A total of 13,940,000 containers were handled from Qingdao, compared to 12,470,000 in the same period in 2022.
