Signs of improvement are emerging in container traffic at Terminals II and III at the Port of Piraeus, as the gradual return of containerships via the Suez Canal reduces diversions around the Cape of Good Hope.
The development could benefit Piraeus given its strategic position along the Asia-Mediterranean-Europe trade route. According to data from Cosco Shipping Ports, around 352,000 TEUs were handled in July 2026, compared with 345,000 TEUs in the same month last year, marking a small but positive increase and reversing some of the pressure caused by diversions around the Red Sea.
In the first seven months of the year, from January to July, container traffic stood at 2.347 million TEUs, compared with 2.400 million TEUs in the corresponding period a year earlier, representing a 2.2% decline.
Since July 20, 2026, the Houthis have announced a special naval blockade targeting only tankers linked to Saudi interests, while the European Union’s ASPIDES operation continues to consider vessels linked to Israeli or U.S. interests to face elevated risks.
Strong performance for Cosco Shipping Ports
At group level, meanwhile, Cosco Shipping Ports is recording significantly stronger growth rates.
Across its network of 38 terminals, the company handled 10.598 million TEUs in July 2026, compared with 10.053 million TEUs in the same period a year earlier, representing a 5.4% increase.
In the first seven months of the year, total throughput reached approximately 72 million TEUs, compared with 67 million TEUs in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Source: Naftemporiki