Genoa. The month of April resulted particularly positive for the ports of Genoa and Savona-Vado both in terms of overall movement and in relation to the performance of individual packaging methods and product categories. The period, in fact, closed at 5,759,747 tonnes, up 11.3% compared to 2023.
Solid bulk data is positive (+102.2%, also in relation to the performance of April 2023), containerized goods (+16%) and conventional traffic (+12.1%). The signal coming from these last two sectors is significant, especially in the case of containers, in relation to the repercussions deriving from the ongoing Red Sea crisis. The fact that the excellent performance in April follows a negative result recorded in March is, however, interesting not yet entirely clear as to what effects geopolitical tensions are actually producing on the trend of sea movements both globally and in the Mediterranean context. The April result contributes, in any case, to reporting the progression relating to the overall movement in the first four months of 2024 in positive territoryas it grew by 1.0% compared to 2023.
As regards the specific container traffic, the month of April closed at 259,859 TEU (+12.7% compared to April 2023), supported by the movement of full gateway containers (+6.2%) and, above all, from transhipment activities (+72.7%). In the case of full gateway containers, growth was recorded in both exports (+6.7%) and imports (+5.4%), substantially in contrast with the month of March. As regards transshipment, however, the growth in movements is mainly attributable to the increase in transhipment volumes in the port of Vado Ligure, which went from 2,129 to 10,603 TEU and connected to some spot calls that were necessary to replace the services canceled due to the impossibility of crossing the Red Sea.
In detail of the two ports, the month of April was positive for both ports: Genoa grew by 9.3%, while Savona recorded an increase in volumes of 42.1% in relation to the elements described so far. In the progressive calculation of 2024, overall movements stood at 919,178 TEU, +2.3% compared to 2024.
Instead, the liquid food bulk sectors were negative (-36.9%) and the industrial function (-38.8%) which directly depends on the uncertainties relating to the industrial destiny of Acciaierie d’Italia.
Finally, as regards the passenger sector, the month ended with 304,854 passengers, down compared to April 2023 (-10.9%), both in the cruise sector (-8.4%, for a total of 224,056 passengers) and in the ferry sector (-17.1%, equal to 80,798 passengers).
