The Port System Authority of the Central Adriatic Sea Settentrionale announced that the port of Ravenna has archived the 2024 with an increase of +0.16% in the volume of goods handled on the docks of the port compared to the previous year when the total was 25,503,131 tons. The month of December alone closed with a growth of +1.1% over the same month of 2023.

With regard to the whole of 2024, the Port Authority highlighted, in particular, strong recovery in building materials, results of 4,079,701 tons with +6.6% compared to 2023, with recovery to be attributed to the increase in imports of raw materials for the production of ceramics in the Sassuolo district, the increase in of solid and liquid agri-food products with 5,308,327 tons (+1.96%), the increase in fertilizers, equal to 1,635,931 tons (+5.3%), and the increase in petroleum and chemical products amounted to 3,906,713 tons (+6.2%). On the other hand, the metallurgical products with a total of 5,981,603 tons (-8.2%), A decrease - explained the Port Authority - which is attributable to crisis in the European steel industry, accentuated by the car crisis and import duties, also considering the decrease in landings from the Taranto steel plant following the decline in production.

2024 was also negative for containers that were equal to 199,778 TEUs (-7.9% compared to 2023) for a total of 2,245,052 tons of container loads (-4.6%). Detecting whereas the container sector is the most affected by the situation in the Red Sea, the Port Authority noted that the new CMA CGM feeder to connect the Mediterranean and Turkey also at the port of Ravenna could reverse the negative trend that has manifested itself in all ports and in particular in the Adriatic ports as a result of this situation. The trailer sector is substantially stable and of other vehicles, which amounted to 95,410 units, with 1,176 in less than in 2023 (-1.2%).

Finally, the cruise sector saw in 2024 the movement of of 272,219 passengers, of which 222,353 in home port, with a decrease of -17.7% compared to 2023. The Port Authority specified that the drop was budgeted compared to the record year of 2023 following the lower reception capacity of the terminal caused by the construction site for the construction of the new maritime station, which will be will end in 2026.

"2024 - commented the president of the Port Authority, Daniele Rossi - it has been a very difficult and complex year under many points of view, not only for the port of Ravenna but for the whole Europe due to the persistence of geopolitical tensions whose effects have not only had a heavy impact on growth economic situation of our country but have also generated, due to the risks of new price increases linked to price increases of raw materials, a climate of general uncertainty which, inevitably, it slows down investments. The port of Ravenna has suffered and suffers even more from this situation since moment that the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has put traffic in crisis with the Black Sea, the historic basin of reference for our port. In this context, with respect to which, over time, the system has managed to react by finding new trafficking that allowed compensated at least in part for the losses, he then came to impact the problem of the Israeli-Palestinian war with the consequent crisis of the Suez Canal, through which 12% of the and 40% of national traffic (20% share referred to our airport). Since December 2023, when the rebels Houthis have announced their intention to attack all ships to Israel without distinction of nationality, many of them shipowners have decided to no longer let their ships the route passing through the Suez Canal but to circumnavigate Africa by lengthening the journey with consequent significant increases and favoring the ports of Northern Europe to the detriment of especially of the ports of the North Adriatic. In these few years, the port of Ravenna has therefore suffered the negative effects of two events absolutely independent of the important choices that the port itself was carrying out. Despite this however, and I am convinced that this shows that the choices strategic measures are going in the right direction, the port of Ravenna closes 2024 with a slightly positive sign compared to 2023. This means that the port of Ravenna despite everything is grown, managing to recover elsewhere the millions of tons of lost to the conflict in the Black Sea area and the crisis of Suez. Starting from the assumption that these two important areas, not as soon as the current tensions allow it, they will return to being reference basins of our port, since these Traffic is traffic destined "naturally" for the port of Ravenna, it is not difficult to imagine that the port will know significant growth in volumes handled and the port will be ready to manage this increase in traffic thanks to the interventions carried out in recent years".