Figures released by the Port of Beirut show that the aggregate volume of imports by the top five shipping companies and freight forwarders through the port totaled 49,312 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in the first two months 2026, constituting a rise of 35.2% from 36,473 TEUs in the same period last year. The five shipping and freight forwarding firms accounted for 95.8% of imports to the Lebanese market in the covered period.  Merit Shipping handled 20,676 TEUs in the first two months 2026, equivalent to 40% of the total import freight market to Lebanon. Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) followed with 15,114 TEUs (29.3%), then Sealine Group with 10,881 TEUs (21%), Gezairi Transport with 1,753 TEUs (3.4%), and Seanautics shipping with 888 TEUs (1.7%). Merit Shipping registered a rise of 54% in imports in the first two months 2026, the highest growth rate among the covered companies, while Seanautics shipping posted a drop of 41.7%, the steepest decrease among the five firms year-on-year in the first two months 2026. Also, the import shipping operations of the top five firms through the port regressed by 12% in February 2026 from the preceding month and increased by 32.6% from February 2025. In parallel, the aggregate volume of exports by the top five shipping and freight forwarding firms through the Port of Beirut reached 9,779 TEUs in the first two months 2026, constituting a decrease of 2.8% from 10,057 TEUs in the covered period of 2025. The five companies accounted for 98.3% of exported Lebanese cargo in the first two months of 2026.  Merit Shipping handled 4,978 TEUs of freight in the first two months 2026, equivalent to 50% of the Lebanese cargo export market. Sealine Group followed with 2,988 TEUs (30%), then MSC with 1,174 TEUs (11.8%), Gezairi Transport with 338 TEUs (3.4%), and El Fil Shipping with 301 TEUs (3%). Sealine Group posted a surge of 28.5% in exports in the first two months 2026, the highest growth rate among the covered companies, while Gezairi Transport registered a decrease of 40%, the steepest decline among the five firms year-on-year in the first two months 2026. The export-shipping operations of the top five companies increased by 5.3% in February 2026 from the previous month and by 8.3% from February 2025. (ICE BEIRUT)

Fonte notizia: Byblos Bank, LTW, 15-20 June 2026