Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu announces a 4.6% annual increase in cargo handling at ports from January to May, reaching 225 million 464 thousand 363 tons.
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu has reported a notable 4.6% annual increase in cargo handling at Turkish ports from January to May compared to the same period last year, totaling 225,464,363 tons. Uraloglu emphasized Turkiye’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its position in maritime transport, noting that these efforts are reflected in the growth of sea trade.
In May alone, port cargo handling reached 45,988,445 tons, with container handling rising by 13% to 5,644,097 TEUs during the January-May period. Outbound cargo from Turkish ports to foreign ports in May surged to its highest level of the year, marking a 15.8% increase at 13,064,494 tons. Conversely, inbound cargo from foreign ports decreased by 10.7% to 21,653,465 tons. International cargo transportations in May dropped by 2.2%, totaling 34,717,959 tons compared to the same month last year.
Minister Uraloglu highlighted that Aliaga Region Port Directorate led in cargo handling with 7,767,170 tons in May, followed by Kocaeli Region Port Directorate with 7,505,471 tons and İskenderun Region Port Directorate with 5,590,859 tons.
Regarding cargo types, Uraloglu noted a significant increase in scrap iron handling, totaling 1,835,933 tons in May, followed by raw petroleum and feldspar. Portland cement led as the most transported cargo out of Turkish ports with 1,073,823 tons, followed by fuel oil and motor gasoline. Inbound cargo saw raw petroleum as the primary cargo type, followed by scrap iron and non-briquetted coal.
Italy was the top destination for outbound maritime cargo in May, followed by the United States and Spain. Uraloglu also mentioned that Russian-flagged vessels transported the highest amount of cargo to Turkish ports, constituting 6.7% of the 34,717,959 tons handled in May. Cargo transported by Turkish-flagged vessels decreased by 10.5% to 2,309,446 tons, while cargo transported by foreign-flagged vessels decreased by 1.6% to 32,408,513 tons. Container handling increased by 3.4% annually to 1,161,725 TEUs in May.
The statistics underscore Turkiye’s robust maritime industry and its pivotal role in global cargo transport, reflecting ongoing efforts to enhance port efficiencies and expand international trade relations.
Source: AA / Prepared by Irem Yildiz