Rebound in activity
at the Port of Beirut

Cargo and containers up

Published activity results by the Port of Beirut (PoB) show resurgence in its operations in 2025 with the volume of imported and exported merchandise growing 18 percent to 6.4 million tons compared with the previous year.

The number of inbound and outbound containers, excluding transshipment, increased by 25 percent to nearly 700,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). One 20-foot-long container is equal to one TEU, while a 40-foot container is equivalent to two TEUs. Transshipment activity also improved with the number of containers rising 22 percent to close to 245,000 TEUs.

The number of vessel calls, however, decreased by four percent to around 1,400 ships.

The port’s activity last year represents a significant rebound from 2024, a year which saw — due to the impact of the war — a 0.2 percent decline in cargo volume and an eight percent drop in container traffic (including transshipment).

The volume of cargo in 2025 was also higher than its value in each of the four previous years. It represents a 25 percent increase compared to the annual average for the period 2021-2024.

Container traffic (including transshipment) also increased, jumping by 29 percent compared to the annual average for the previous four years.