Companies based in North Sea Port recorded a volume of 33.2 million tonnes of seaborne cargo transhipment over the first six months of 2025. Despite a small decline of 1.2 percent, dry and liquid bulk transhipment performance remained resilient, with the decrease attributed to general cargo and roll-on/roll-off traffic.
The port’s diversification of activities and types of goods helped maintain relatively stable cargo throughput during the first half of the year. In total, 0.4 million fewer tonnes (-1. percent) of maritime cargo was transhipped compared to the same period in 2024. Notably, transhipment in the second quarter matched the first quarter exactly, at 15.6 million tonnes.
Trading Partner Performance
Britain continues to be the port’s most important trading partner, maintaining its position as the top destination that it first achieved in 2024. The port reports that the impact of Brexit continues to diminish. The United States holds second place among trading partners, with 8 percent growth showing no negative signs of potential trade war impacts between Europe and the USA in current figures.
Trade with Russia continued its steady decline during the first half of the year, falling 14 percent due to increased EU sanctions.
Bulk Cargo Maintains Strength
North Sea Port’s position as a bulk port remained evident in the first-half results. Dry bulk accounts for approximately half of seaborne transhipment, while liquid bulk represents a quarter. Both cargo types maintained throughput levels compared to the first half of 2024, with 17.9 million tonnes of dry bulk goods (including iron ore, coal, sand and gravel) and 7.5 million tonnes of liquid bulk goods (such as propane and naphtha).
Container throughput showed strong growth, climbing to 98,000 TEU (+27,000 TEU, +38.3 percent). By weight, this represented 930,000 tonnes (+180,000 tonnes, +23.5 percent).
Declines in General Cargo and RoRo
The overall decline in cargo throughput was attributed to decreases in general cargo and roll-on/roll-off traffic. General cargo transhipment decreased to 5.0 million tonnes (-0.4 million tonnes, -7.5 percent), partly due to a shift toward more fruit being transported in containers rather than as general cargo pallets.
Roll-on/roll-off transhipment declined to 1.9 million tonnes (-0.04 million tonnes, -1.9 percent).
Inland Shipping Challenges
Inland waterway transhipment fell to 30.3 million tonnes in the first half of 2025, representing a decrease of 1.9 million tonnes (-5.9 percent) compared to the same period in 2024. The majority of this decline occurred in dry bulk, with reduced trade in sand and gravel, ores and minerals.
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