Italian ports are taking all the appropriate measures to ensure the maximum safety of port operations and freight traffic.

Tanger Med, Valencia and Port Said as the top three Mediterranean-area container ports

Rome, Italy  – Italian ports handled almost 250 million tonnes of goods during the first half of 2025, according to new data published by Assoporti and SRM. The data were released by Assoporti (Associazione Porti Italiani) and SRM – Centro Studi collegato al Gruppo Intesa Sanpaolo. The report covers national…

With nearly 250 million tons of cargo handled in the first half of the year (+1.2% compared to 2024), Italian ports are looking to the end of 2025 with growth prospects.

This is highlighted by data from the infographic produced by Assoporti in collaboration with SRM (a research center affiliated with the Intesa Sanpaolo Group): "Containers and solid bulk are driving traffic: +2.6% and +18.9%, respectively. Liquid bulk is down 3.5%, and Ro-Ro is down 1%. Passenger traffic (nearly 30 million) and cruise traffic (5.6 million) are accelerating further, both up 5.8%. The development of dock electrification in ports continues; statistics show 25 cold ironing connection points contracted/installed," a summary of the study states.

Infrastructure and decarbonisation

This edition features an in-depth analysis of intramed container traffic, focusing specifically on the Mediterranean basin. This analysis analyzes the most competitive countries and the ports that generate the highest volumes in this traffic segment. The analysis highlights the important role played by Italian ports in this scenario.

 On infrastructure and decarbonisation, the update reports progress on shore power, citing 25 cold-ironing connection points that are contracted and/or installed across Italian ports.

Global seaborne trade in 2025

A special focus of the edition is intra-Mediterranean container traffic. In its “news from the world” section, the publication states that global seaborne trade in 2025 is expected to reach a record 12.8 billion tonnes and that the container sector is projected to grow 14% by 2029; it also says that, measured by container volumes handled by ports, the Mediterranean exceeded Northern Europe in 2024, with more than 82 million TEU versus 61 million

 EU-country short-sea traffic in the Mediterranean

Within the intra-Mediterranean analysis, the release says EU-country short-sea traffic in the Mediterranean totals almost 630 million tonnes and identifies Tanger Med, Valencia and Port Said as the top three Mediterranean-area container ports, all showing growth in the first half of 2025.The top five carriers by intra-Mediterranean fleet capacity account for 66.6% of total capacity. 

 Short Sea Shipping 

"In a context of growing port competition, Short Sea Shipping represents an increasingly strategic traffic segment, and Italy, with a market share of approximately 40%, is the undisputed leader in both the Mediterranean and the EU. Despite the complexities of this geopolitical moment, one factor must not be overlooked: the Mediterranean Sea is increasingly central to the global economy, and Italy can play a key role only by continuing to strengthen its ports, which are essential infrastructure for a major exporting country," added SRM General Manager Massimo Deandreis.

Assoporti is the Association of Italian Ports, representing Italy’s port system authorities and serving as an institutional body for coordination.

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Source : Shipping Italy + Other sources

Assoporti ,Massimo Deandreis ,SRM , Italian ports , Short Sea Shipping ,Tanger Med , intra-Mediterranean container traffic.