Container shipping is going through a period of contradictions, as data shows increased cargo traffic in ports but at the same time intense pressures on freight rates.
At the port of Piraeus, the Piraeus Port Terminals II and III recorded a 3.1% increase in the first seven months of 2025, while Cosco Shipping Ports recorded a strong performance at the global level, with 66.7 million TEUs. At the same time, however, the Shanghai SCFI index records a continuous decline in spot prices, with the Mediterranean and Europe at the center of the pressures, according to analyst Lars Jensen.
BIMCO: Stable demand despite volatility
BIMCO appears more optimistic, predicting stable demand for the market over the next two years, despite international uncertainties and geopolitical tensions. PCT Container traffic from Piers II and III of the Piraeus Container Terminal recorded a positive trend at a seven-month level, according to data from COSCO Shipping Ports.
Specifically, 2.4 million TEUs were handled in the period January-July 2025, compared to 2.3 million TEUs in the same period in 2024, recording an increase of 3.1%.
This increase comes at a time of challenges for the global shipping market, where fluctuations in demand and oversupply of capacity affect the flow of cargo. Despite the positive performance in the seven months, a decline of 6.5% was recorded in July with 345 thousand TEUs handled by the Piraeus Port, compared to 369 thousand TEUs in the corresponding month of 2024. The picture highlights the dynamics of the port of Piraeus on an annual basis, but also the challenges it faces on a monthly basis, due to the unstable international market.
Cosco Shipping Ports recorded strong performance at the global level in July 2025, with the handling in the 35 ports it manages reaching 10 million TEUs, recording an increase of 3.9% compared to the corresponding month last year. Overall, in the period January – July 2025, the handling amounted to 66.7 million TEUs, compared to 63 million TEUs in the same period of 2024, recording an increase of 5.6%.
