In 2023 the ports of Bari, Brindisi, Manfredonia, Barletta, Monopoli and Termoli managed by the Port System Authority of the Southern Adriatic Sea handled 18.55 million tonnes of goods, down -4.7% on the year which was caused by decreases in the dry and liquid bulk, which amounted to 5.40 million respectively tonnes (-22.2%) and 2.64 million tonnes (-4.5%), partially offset by +7.8% growth in miscellaneous goods to 10.51 million tonnes. In the passenger sector, the Last year, cruises recorded a slight decline in -0.5% with a total of 493 thousand passengers, while ferries increased from +29.5% to 1.91 million units.

In 2023, the port of Bari alone handled 8.19 million tonnes of goods (+7.7%), of which 5.13 million tonnes per unloading (+13.8%) and 3.06 million tonnes at embarkation (-1.1%). The the total figure for miscellaneous goods was 6.07 million tonnes (0%), of which 5.25 million tonnes of rolling stock (-1.3%), 771 thousand tons of containerized goods (+6.6%) with a container handling of 74 thousand TEUs (+12.%) and 54 thousand tons of conventional goods (+49.8%). In the field of Solid Bulk Traffic was 1.94 million tons (+38.3%), including 73 thousand tons of chemicals (+17.8%), 39 thousand tons of minerals and building materials (+66.0%), 38 thousand tons of metallurgical products (+58.1%), 17 thousand tons of food and feed (+171.4%) and 6 thousand tonnes of other dry bulk (+46.7%). In Bari, the passengers of the ferries were 1.08 million (+1.6%) and those of cruises 417 thousand (+2.8%).

In 2023, cargo traffic in the port of Brindisi down -18.3% to 8.21 million tonnes, of which 5.23 million tonnes at landing (-28.4%) and 2.98 million tonnes million tons at loading (+8.8%). In the Goods Segment A total of 9.26 million tons of rolling stock (+19.6%) and 32 thousand tons of other cargo (+5,4%). Dry bulk amounted to 1.97 million tonnes (-54.9%), of which 1.28 million tonnes of coal and lignite (-64.0%), 198 thousand tons of food and feed (-1.6%), 167 thousand tons of metallurgical products (+13.3%), 24 thousand tons of chemical products (+145.7%), 21 thousand tons cereals (-20.7%), 14 thousand tons of minerals and materials to be construction (-63.6%) and 269 thousand tons of other dry bulk (-32,5%). The total liquid bulk was 1.94 million tonnes (-6.6%), including 1.16 million tonnes of refined petroleum products (-8.5%), 540 thousand tons of gas natural and gaseous, liquefied or compressed petroleum products (-8.6%) and 248 thousand tons of other liquid cargoes (+10.7%). In the passenger sector, ferry ships totalled 600 thousand passengers (+49.9%) and cruise ships 74 thousand (-16.1%).

Last year, the port of Barletta handled 860,000 tons of goods (+39.2%), that of Manfredonia 767 thousand tons (+8.8%) and the port of Monopoli 356 thousand tonnes (-26.4%).