Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced that Turkish ports achieved a record-breaking performance in February, handling 43,881,863 tonnes of cargo. This marks the highest February volume ever recorded. In terms of containers, 1,157,303 TEUs were processed, representing the largest February figure since 2024.
Significant Growth in Container and Cargo Handling
Minister Uraloğlu reviewed the February statistics prepared by the Directorate General of Maritime Affairs, highlighting ongoing efforts to expand Turkey’s maritime trade share. For the January-February period, total cargo handled at Turkish ports reached 88,343,147 tonnes. Regarding containers, 2,238,224 TEUs were processed in the first two months of the year, reflecting a 3% increase compared to the same period last year. Specifically, February saw a 13.9% rise in container volume compared to February 2023.
International Cargo Movements and Leading Ports
Increases in Foreign Trade Shipments
During February, the volume of cargo exported from Turkish ports to overseas destinations amounted to 10,542,469 tonnes. Imports from foreign ports grew by 8.5% year-on-year, totaling 22,117,589 tonnes. Overall, international cargo movements increased by 6% compared to the previous year, reaching 32,660,058 tonnes.
Top Performing Port Authorities
The Aliağa Regional Port Authority led all regions in February, with 7,349,150 tonnes of cargo handled. Following Aliağa were the Kocaeli Regional Port Authority with 6,567,067 tonnes and the İskenderun Regional Port Authority with 5,348,953 tonnes.
Trends by Cargo Type and Country
Container and Bulk Cargo Details
Transit cargo shipped via sea reached 5,561,761 tonnes, while cabotage (domestic coastal shipping) accounted for 5,660,044 tonnes. The cargo type with the highest monthly growth was the 40-foot full container, with a 441,407-tonne increase over the previous month, totaling 6,949,461 tonnes in February.
The most exported product was Portland cement, with 980,160 tonnes shipped abroad. Other major exports included aluminum ore and concentrates, as well as feldspar. Regarding imports, crude oil topped the list with 2,581,661 tonnes, followed by LNG and unbriquetted hard coal.
Principal Trading Partners
The highest volume of seaborne exports was directed to Italy, with the USA and Egypt ranking next. In terms of imports by sea, Russia remained the leading source country for inbound cargo to Turkish ports.
