Having recorded a decline in freight traffic higher than -2% in the first two quarters of this year, the port of Marseille-Fos closed the entire first half of 2026 with a a decrease of about -3% in the volumes of loads handled compared to the first half of last year. The overall decrease is was generated, in particular, by the marked reduction in volumes of dry bulk and with less marked bulk reduction liquid assets that were not fully offset by the increase in various goods.

The Port Authority of the French port of call has highlighted that the half-yearly traffic was substantially stable despite geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East, with the tensions in the Strait of Hormuz that continue to keep under global shipping lanes, as changes in the maritime routes linked to the international context have so far not significantly affected neither on the airports nor on the flows of goods managed by the French port of call.

In the first six months of 2026, bulk traffic alone amounted to 22.4 million tonnes, with a -5% compared to 23.6 million in the same period of 2014. 2025. In particular, crude oil traffic, with 11.2 million tons, recorded a strong recovery of +10% thanks to the return to full capacity of local refineries. I refined petroleum products, with 5.9 million tonnes, marked a decrease of -3% and a slight decrease was also recorded in the volumes of liquefied petroleum gas equal to one million tons (-1%). On the other hand, gas volumes decreased sharply liquefied natural waste, equal to 2.2 million tons (-46%), reduction - specified the French port authority - which is due to the comparison with the high levels of 2025 and to constraints import capacity technicians who are in resolution phase.

Dry bulk totaled 3.1 million tons (-19%), of which 1.8 million tonnes of steel (-33%) and 1.3 million tonnes million tons of agri-food products (+11%).

Out of a total of 10.8 million tons of miscellaneous goods handled in the first half of 2026 compared to 9.5 million in the first half of last year, traffic in the sector alone of containers amounted to 823 thousand TEUs, with an increase in of +13% that the port authority specified to have been supported growth in trade with Asia, and in particular with China which is the main trading partner of the French port. In the rolling stock sector, an increase of +3% was marked, while the traffic of new cars decreased with 101 thousand vehicles handled (-6%).

Six-month passenger traffic was 1.2 million cruise passengers (+5%), with a similar growth in passengers disembarkation/embarkation (+5%) and those in transit (+5%). Traffic of passengers on regular lines, on the other hand, suffered a drop with a total of 482 thousand passengers and a number of stopovers also in slight decline.