Cebu ports post 4.4% increase in 2023 cargo volume

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Cebu baseport. Photo from Cebu Port Authority.
  • The Cebu Port Authority reported a 4.4% increase in cargo volume for Cebu ports in 2023
  • Volume reached 69.228 million metric tons, the third consecutive year of growth
  • Despite a dip in container handling, foreign containers experienced a modest 0.7% growth, showcasing resilience in international trade
  • Ship calls saw a significant 23.7% increase, reaching 139,204 vessels in 2023
  • Passenger traffic rebounded, recording 19.504 million passengers, 30.7% higher than in 2022

The Cebu Port Authority (CPA) reported a 4.4% increase in cargo volume for Cebu ports in 2023, the third consecutive year of growth.

Based on preliminary data, the total cargo volume reached 69.228 million metric tons, surpassing the pre-pandemic 2019 record of 58.992 million metric tons.

READ: Cebu ports’ 2022 volumes rise 7%, beating pre-Covid levels

In 2023, domestic cargoes accounted for 78.7% of the total, experiencing a 4.6% growth to 54.507 million metric tons. Foreign cargoes also showed improvement, rising by 3.9% to 14.721 million metric tons.

Imports, constituting the majority of foreign cargoes, increased by 2.8% to 12.827 million metric tons, while exports exhibited a substantial 11.9% growth, reaching 1.8954 million metric tons.

Despite a slight dip in container traffic—907,783 twenty equivalent units in 2023 compared with 937,051 TEUs in 2022–the overall trend remains positive.

Domestic containers, representing 51% of the total, decreased by 7.8% to 464,551 TEUs, while foreign containers saw a modest 0.7% growth to 436,080 TEUs.

Rolling cargoes continued their upward trajectory for the third consecutive year, growing by 10.5% to 1.698 million units in 2023.

Ship calls saw a 23.7% jump, reaching 139,204 vessels in 2023.

Passenger traffic rebounded, recording 19.504 million passengers, a 30.7% surge from 2022, although still below pre-pandemic levels.

CPA oversees ports across Cebu, including the Cebu International Port and base port-domestic zone, as well as the subports in Mandaue, Danao, Sta. Fe, Toledo, and Argao.

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