Figures released by the Port of Beirut show that the aggregate volume of imports by the top five shipping companies and freight forwarders through the port totaled 86,737 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in the first four months of 2025, constituting an increase of 43.5% from 60,449 TEUs in the same period last year. The five shipping and freight forwarding firms accounted for 91.3% of imports to the Lebanese market in the covered period.  Merit Shipping handled 34,592 TEUs in the first four months of 2025, equivalent to 28% of the total import freight market to Lebanon.  Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) followed with 24,957 TEUs (20.3%), then Sealine Group with 18,882 TEUs (15.4%), Gezairi Transport with 5,398 TEUs (4.4%), and El Gharib shipping with 2,771 TEUs (2.3%). Sealine Group registered a rise of 582.6% in imports in the first four months of 2025, the highest growth rate among the covered companies, while A.P. Moller-Maersk posted a drop of 90.3%, the steepest decrease among the five firms in the first four months of 2025 from the same period of 2024. Also, the import shipping operations of the top five firms through the port increased by 4.6% in April 2025 from the preceding month and by 88% from April 2024.  In parallel, the aggregate volume of exports by the top five shipping and freight forwarding firms through the Port of Beirut reached 20,119 TEUs in the first four months of 2025, constituting a decrease of 9.7% from 22,269 TEUs in the covered period of 2024. The five companies accounted for 95.6% of exported Lebanese cargo in the covered month.  Merit Shipping handled 10,712 TEUs of freight in the first four months of 2025, equivalent to 51% of the Lebanese cargo export market.  Sealine Group followed with 4,817 TEUs (23%), then MSC with 2,887 TEUs (13.7%), Gezairi Transport with 1,047 TEUs (5%), and El Fil Shipping with 656 TEUs (3%). Sealine Group posted a surge of 703%” in exported cargo in the first four months of 2025, the highest growth rate among the covered companies, while A.P. Moller-Maersk registered a fall of 98.3%, the steepest decline among the five firms year-on-year in the first four months of 2025. The export-shipping operations of the top five companies regressed by 0.2% in April 2025 from the previous month and increased by 6.6% from April 2024. (ICE BEIRUT)

Fonte notizia: Byblos Bank, July 21-26, 2025