TRIESTE – Trieste Marine Terminal opened 2026 with lower volumes, but the market is already looking to a recovery in the coming months. In the first two months of the year, the container terminal at the port of Trieste, controlled by the MSC group, reported a 27.11% decline in the number of TEUs handled. Read in isolation, the figure appears significant, but it needs to be placed in a broader context. The comparison is in fact with an especially strong start to 2025, marked by near-record traffic levels. Such a high baseline magnifies the negative percentage change recorded in 2026.
Similar signs had already emerged in recent months, with volume trends at the port of Trieste becoming increasingly tied to the cyclicality of deep-sea services and the decisions of the major shipping alliances. In particular, the reshuffle of services and the temporary reduction of some Asia-Europe loops (the Maersk-MSC split) had already affected container flows at the Friuli Venezia Giulia port. The slowdown in the opening months of 2026 therefore fits into a transition phase, linked both to the review of shipping rotations and to the reconfiguration of global logistics chains.
The outlook for the second part of the year nevertheless remains positive. A recovery in volumes is in fact expected from mid-2026 onwards, supported by the introduction of new Far East services. A factor that could bring significant traffic back to Trieste, strengthening the port’s role in the Asia-Europe corridor.
