The European freight map is on the rise, with the EU’s largest ports fighting neck and neck for a place in the top five. Among them, the port of Piraeus remains 5th, recording a remarkable 4.9% increase in container traffic in the first half of 2025.

More specifically, Piers II and III, managed by Cosco Shipping Ports, handled a total of 2.054 million TEUs compared to 1.958 million TEUs in the same period in 2024. Added to this is the activity at PPA’s Pier I, with around 400,000 TEUs, bringing the total volume to 2.45 million TEUs. This allows Piraeus to maintain its fifth place in the European ranking, below Valencia but ahead of competing ports that are squeezing the market.

At the same time, the port of Rotterdam regained the lead, handling 7 million TEUs in the six months (+2.7%). Antwerp-Bruges maintained second place with 6.91 million TEUs (+3.7%), while Hamburg is in third place, recording 6.3% growth in the first quarter and approaching 2 million TEUs, with estimates suggesting it will exceed 3.8 million in the six months.