An upward trend has been recorded in container traffic at the Port of Piraeus, despite ongoing geopolitical tensions that affect global trade flows.
The full return of container ships through the Red Sea remains uncertain, following the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Iran.
However, the Port of Piraeus — and in particular Piers II and III operated by Cosco Shipping Ports — is recording an increase in container traffic, reflecting the port’s resilience and strategic importance under the new conditions.
Shipping brokers stated that traffic through the Suez Canal remains 60% lower compared to pre-Houthi attack levels, despite the discount policies introduced by the Suez Canal Authority in an effort to attract carriers back to this key global maritime route.
According to data from Cosco Shipping Ports, container traffic through Piers II and III at the Piraeus Container Terminal increased by 5.6% on a monthly basis.
Specifically, in May 2025, a total of 337,000 TEUs were handled, compared to 319,000 TEUs in the same month of 2024.
Over the five-month period, traffic rose by 5.2%. More precisely, 1.674 million TEUs were handled through Piers II and III, compared to 1.591 million TEUs during the same period last year.
At a global level, Cosco Shipping Ports delivered strong performance in May 2025, with container traffic across its 35 ports reaching 9.8 million TEUs, marking a 3.6% increase compared to the same month in 2024.
In January – May 2025, a total of 46.6 million TEUs were handled at Cosco-operated terminals, up from 43.9 million TEUs during the same period in 2024 — an increase of 6.2%.
Regarding container traffic in China, terminals in the southwestern regions and the Yangtze River Delta performed well.
From the Yangtze River Delta — one of the world’s largest shipping and industrial hubs — 1.471 million TEUs were handled in May, compared to 1.416 million TEUs in the same month last year.
