The inclusion of maritime transport in the ETS of European Union emission allowances implemented from 1 January 2024 seems to have produced an increase in container traffic in neighbouring non-European ports, an effect feared by ports of southern Europe and which seems to be confirmed by the first results EU-ETS Observatory promoted by the Spanish government agency Puertos del Estado specifically to assess the impact on the activity of ports in the enlargement of the European system to the shipping industry.

After a few months of work spent with the aim of identifying carbon leakage and analysing the potential loss of transhipment traffic in ports subject to the EU-ETS system, which requires shipping companies that make European ports to pay for their emissions according to the capacity of the ships and the route travelled, the initial data of the study reveal an unusual increase in activity in non-EU ports located near Europe, such as those in the UK in Northern Europe, and in Egypt and Turkey, in the Mediterranean.

The Observatory, developed by Shipping Business Consultant (SBC) in collaboration with the Center for Transport Innovation (CENIT) and Nextport, examined indicators such as the number of ports of call in the ships, distance travelled and emissions from platforms data, AIS and other systems at regional level (European Union and neighbouring countries), but also in specific areas where detected changes. The work also took into account factors taxpayers and contingents such as the crisis in the Red Sea, which has forced shipping companies to change course while avoiding the transits through the Suez Canal, and the breakup of consolidated alliances between shipping companies.

The observatory has reported that in the case of the United Kingdom, it is There has been an increase in port activity measured in miles/TEU (the capacity of the ship in 20' containers multiplied by the distance traveled) which is not attributable factors such as a significant increase in activity reduced operating costs or congestion in neighbouring European ports. The analysis explains that the most shipping companies are developing strategies that give greater importance to the United Kingdom in the its own routes compared to the past, a decision that does not seem to be related to changes in infrastructure British Islands.

In the Mediterranean, the Same trend in Egyptian and Turkish ports compared to ports European countries, with a marked increase in both the capacity of the ships moored than the distance traveled.