Maritime transport of goods - quarterly data (2024)

Gross weight of goods handled in the main EU ports decreased by 5.9% in the second quarter of 2023 compared with the same quarter of 2022

At 828milliontonnes, the gross weight of goods handled in the main EU ports increased by 1.3% in the second quarter of 2023 compared with the previous quarter but decreased by 5.9% versus the same quarter of 2022 (Figures 1 and 2).

After the steady recovery observed following the economic crisis and a peak of activity reached in the third quarter of 2019, maritime transport then observed a downwards trend until the third quarter of 2020, as an effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. A partial recovery was observed until the second quarter of 2022. After that, a new downwards trend was observed and can mainly be attributed to the restrictions in freight transport with Russia due to its war aggression in Ukraine.

When looking at the overall annual change, a decrease by 2.8% was observed in EU ports activity in terms of gross weight of goods handled compared with the previous period (Figure2).

Inward movement of goods represented 62.1% of the total volume of goods handled in the main EU ports in the second quarter of 2023

The inward movements of goods made up 62.1% of the total volume of goods handled in the main EU ports in the second quarter of 2023. This share slightly decreased by 0.2percentage points (pp) compared with the previous quarter and compared with the second quarter of the previous year.

Compared with the second quarter of 2022, the inward movements of goods to the main EU ports decreased by 5.4%, to 514milliontonnes in the second quarter of 2023. Outward movements also decreased, by 2.8% over the same period, down to 313milliontonnes.

When looking at the overall annual aggregate, the inward movements of goods decreased by 0.9% while outward movements fell by 5.8%.

Dry bulk goods decreased by 10.6% in the second quarter of 2023 compared with the same quarter of 2022

Compared with the same quarter of 2022, dry bulk goods (-10.6%) recorded a substantial fall in the second quarter of 2023. All other types of cargo also decreased with the exception of Roll on - roll off (Ro-Ro) units, which increased by 2.9%. Liquid bulk goods decreased by 6.8%, large containers by 5.2% and other cargo by 3.3%. When looking at the overall annual change, Ro-Ro units increased by 8.3%, large containers by 7.7% and other cargo by 6.3% whereas dry bulk goods fell by 3.5% and liquid bulk goods by 2.5% (Figure3).

The Netherlands, Spain and Italy each handled more than 100milliontonnes of goods in the second quarter of 2023

In the second quarter of 2023, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy were the EU Member States with the largest amount of maritime freight handled in their main ports, each handling more than 100milliontonnes of goods (Figure4).

In the second quarter of 2023, 16 of the maritime EU Member States recorded a decrease in the tonnes of goods handled in their main ports compared with the same quarter of 2022 (Table1). In relative terms, the largest decrease was observed for Estonia (-27.9%), followed by Latvia (-22.4%), Bulgaria (-19.2%), Italy (-11.3%), Croatia (-10.6%) and the Netherlands (-10.5%). The candidate country Montenegro also registered a substantial fall over the same period (-27.9%).On the other hand, Poland reported the highest increase in main port activity in this period (+21.2%), followed by Malta (+18.5%) and Lithuania (+15.5%).

When looking at the overall annual change, 14 EU Member States, as well as the EFTA country Norway and the candidate country Türkiye, recorded a decrease. The largest drop was recorded by Estonia (-24.8%), followed by Lithuania (-14.1%) and Italy (-9.6%). By contrast, the most noticeable growth was observed in Malta (+32.4%), followed by Poland (+31.6%)) and Romania (+6.7%). The EU candidate country Montenegro also reported a substantial increase by 11.0%.

Russia fell in eight position among the main extra EU's partner countries in maritime freight transport in the second quarter of 2023

It should be noted that the figures presented in this section may be influenced by variations in the level of transport reported with unknown partner regions. This level was particularly high in the data reported in the last three quarters of 2022 and the first two quarters of 2023 compared with previous quarters.

At 505milliontonnes, short sea shipping tonnages to and from the main EU ports substantially decreased by 8.2% in the second quarter of 2023 compared with the same quarter in 2022. deep sea shipping tonnages also decreased by 6.4%, to 278milliontonnes (Figure5). When looking at the overall annual change, short sea shipping decreased by 8.7% whereas deep sea shipping increased by 1.0%, compared with the previous period.

Between the second quarter of 2022 and the same quarter of 2023, international extra-EU transport and international intra-EU transport decreased by 11.8% and 4.7%, respectively whereas national transport increased by 9.0%(Figure6). When looking at the overall annual change, international extra-EU transport decreased by 7.1%, national transport by 5.6% and international intra-EU transport by 1.7%.

The decrease in international extra-EU transport in the second quarter of 2023 compared with the same quarter in 2022 was due to the fall in seaborne transport with Europe except EU (-47milliontonnes or -25.7%) and with Africa (-11milliontonnes or -10.4%) (Figure7). Transport with America, Asia & Oceania also decreased, but more moderately. When looking at the overall annual change, seaborne transport with America (+4.9%) and Asia & Oceania (+1.9%) recorded a growth compared with the previous period. By contrast, Europe except EU registered a substantial fall by 22.7% and Africa decreased by 0.6%.

In terms of the total gross weight of goods, the United States of America (USA) remained the EU's largest maritime freight transport partner in the second quarter of 2023, for five consecutive quarters. The United Kingdom was the second EU's largest maritime freight transport partner in the second quarter of 2023, followed by Norway, China, Türkiye, Brazil and Egypt. Transport with Russia continued its decline, being in eighth position. Canada and Nigeria completed the top 10 of extra-EU partner countries (Figure8). EU transport with the USA and the United Kingdom, combined, represented almost one-quarter (24%) of the total extra-EU maritime transport.

Maritime transport between the EU and Russia recorded the largest fall in the second quarter of 2023 compared with the same quarter of 2022 (-69.4%), followed by Türkiye (-21.2%), Nigeria (-18.2%) and the United Kingdom (-8.8%). By contrast, traffic with the Norway and Egypt increased substantially over the same period, by 10.5% and 9.4%, respectively.

When looking at the overall annual change, transport between the EU and Egypt (+18.8%), Norway (+15.5%), the USA (+7.3%) substantially increased. By contrast, the highest decreases were observed for transport between the EU and Russia (-57.7%), Nigeria (-17.9%) and Türkiye (-10.6%).

A substantial share of the seaborne transport with the USA is made up of inward movements of liquid bulk goods to the main EU ports, particularly crude oil and liquefied gas from ports on the East coast of the USA (Figure9). In the second quarter of 2023, crude oil and liquefied gas from ports on the East coast of the USA represented more than one-third (37%) of the total transport between the EU and the USA. Inward movements of coal from ports on the East coast of the USA were also substantial, with 9% of the total transport between the EU and the USA. Even though the USA was the main partner of the EU in the second quarter of 2023, the main maritime trade flow concerned inward movements of large containers from China, with 16.7milliontonnes. When looking at outward movements, large containers going to China were the second main maritime trade flow (6.5milliontonnes), after the outward movements of Ro-Ro mobile units to the United Kingdom (12.2milliontonnes).

In the second quarter of 2023, the top 20 trade flows were largely dominated by inward movements of liquid bulk goods (crude oil and liquefied gas), with the following exceptions: large containers to and from China, coal from the East coast of the USA and Australia, Ro-Ro mobile units to and from the United Kingdom, other dry bulk goods from Norway, agricultural products from Brazil, as well as ores from the East coast of Canada.

In the second quarter of 2023 compared with the same quarter of 2022, there were substantial increases in the inward movements; the most noticeable being for crude oil from Libya (+54.5%), from Iraq (+42.3%), from Norway (+30.9%), from Egypt (+15.4%), liquefied gas from the East coast of the USA (+11.3%), as well as crude oil from the East coast of the USA (+10.4%). By contrast, large decreases were observed for coal from the East coast of the USA (-30.0%), large containers to the East coast of the USA (-24.9%), crude oil from Russian ports on the Black Sea (-23.1%), large containers to China (-13.7%), ores from Brazil (-13.2%), crude oil from Nigeria (-12.8%) and the United Kingdom (-11.8%), as well as coal from Australia (-11.8%) (Table2).

When looking at the overall annual change, nine of the top 20 maritime trade flows recorded a growth compared with the previous period. The highest increase was registered in the inward movements of crude oil from Iraq (+72.0%), followed by inward movements of crude oil from Egypt, Norway, the East coast of the USA (+54.1%, +35.9% and +13.0%, respectively), inward movements of coal from Australia and the East coast of the USA(+35.4% and +25.8%, respectively), inward movements of liquefied gas from the East coast of the USA (+35.1%) and agricultural products from Brazil (13.1%). By contrast, the highest drops were recorded in the inward movements of ores from Brazil (-23.3%), inward movements of crude oil from Nigeria (-20.2%), from Russian ports on the Black Sea (-17.1%), outward movements of large containers to China (-14.8%) as well as inward movements of ro-ro units from the United Kingdom (-10.2%).

Source data for tables and graphs

• Maritime transport of goods - quarterly data: tables and figures

Data sources and availability

The content of this statistical article is based on data collected within the framework of the EU maritime transport statistics Directive 2009/42/EC on statistical returns in respect of carriage of goods and passengers by sea.

EU aggregates refer to the total of 22 maritime Member States. Czechia, Luxembourg, Hungary, Austria and Slovakia have no maritime ports. Norway and Iceland provide Eurostat with data as members of the European Economic Area (EEA). However, quarterly data are currently not available for Iceland. The EEA country Liechtenstein has no maritime ports. The EU candidate countries Montenegro and Türkiye provide data on a voluntary basis.

'Main ports' are ports handling more than 1milliontonnes of goods annually (however, data for some smaller ports may be included in the published results). Data are presented at the level of 'statistical ports'. A statistical port consists of one or more ports, normally controlled by a single port authority, able to record ship and cargo movements. All figures are based on ports' total (inward + outward) declarations. The results represent the 'handling' of goods in ports.

The 'short sea shipping' aggregate (in Figure5) includes partner ports geographically situated in Europe, on the Mediterranean or on the Black Sea. 'Deep sea shipping' is the complementary geographical aggregate, covering maritime transport of goods on intercontinental routes, crossing oceans. A more extensive definition of 'short sea shipping' is available in the article Maritime transport statistics - short sea shipping of goods.

The concept of maritime transport trade (in Figure9 and Table2) is defined using the following three variables:

1. Direction: 'inwards' transport is distinguished from 'outwards' transport.
2. Partner geographical area (partner region): usually this corresponds to one country, with the exception of countries of such a size and/or geographical position that the location of individual ports may be quite different and may have a strong impact on the maritime route followed. For example, the ports of the United States of America are grouped in two geographical areas: East Coast (including Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes and Puerto Rico) and West Coast (Pacific).
3. Type of cargo: the following thirteen cargo types are used in Figure9 and Table2: liquefied gas, crude oil, oil products, other liquid bulk goods, ores, coal, agricultural products, other dry bulk goods, large containers, Ro-Ro mobile units, forestry products, iron/steel products and other general cargo. The first four types constitute 'liquid bulk', the subsequent four types 'dry bulk' and the last three types 'other general cargo not elsewhere specified', as presented in Figures 3 and 11 to 16.

Abbreviations

Quarterly data are in general provisional. Revisions may be made by countries as more complete information becomes available or as a result of quality checks. More specifically, when the complete set of annual data emerges, this usually involves some revision of quarterly data for some countries.

Annual data as presented in this publication are the rolling four quarter totals ending in the latest quarter and the corresponding four quarters for earlier years. As a result, the four quarters included do not necessarily come from the same calendar year. For example, the 'annual' growth rate in Figure1 shows the percentage change for the four quarters ending in the second quarter of 2023 compared to the four quarters ending in the second quarter of 2022.The basic results (inmilliontonnes) and the derived indicators (growth rates) shown in the figures and tables are rounded. However, they are all based on non-rounded original data, as available in Eurostat's database.

Specific remarks for data up to and including the second quarter of 2023:

• There is a break in time series from 2021Q1 due to methodological improvement in the data reported by the Netherlands.

• Starting from 2013 Q1, the quarterly figures for Germany include data for all national ports (both main ports and minor ports).

• The quarterly data for port activity in France have been partially estimated by Eurostat for the period 2010 Q1-2016 Q1. These data are to be considered as provisional and are likely to be revised. In general, such estimates reduce the accuracy of the statistics at detailed levels.

• Starting from 2019 Q1, the statistical coverage of data has improved for Greece, having more ports reporting quarterly data. Starting from 2021 Q1, the statistical coverage of data has again improved for Greece, having more ports reporting quarterly data.

• Starting from 2011 Q1, the quarterly figures for Spain include data for a number of regional ports outside the state-controlled port system.

• Starting from 2018 Q1, quarterly figures for Portugal include data for all national ports (both main ports and minor ports).

• Starting from 2013 Q1, the quarterly figures for Sweden include data for all national ports (both main ports and minor ports).

Due to revisions of the underlying data, figures in this article may differ from figures currently or previously available on Eurostat's website.

Context

The content of this statistical article is based on data collected within the framework of the EU maritime transport statistics Directive 2009/42/EC of 6 May 2009 on statistical returns in respect of carriage of goods and passengers by sea, which is a recast of the original Council Directive 95/64/EC of 8 December 1995.