○ The Incheon Port Authority (President Lee Kyung-Gyu, www.icpa.or.kr) announced on February 2 that the container traffic volume of Incheon Port last year was 3,558,455 TEUs, an increase of 2.8% compared to 2023, which is about 100,000 TEUs more than the record high of 3,461,362 TEUs in 2023.

○ In addition, in December last year, the port handled 321,531 TEUs of container cargo, a record monthly throughput.

  * The previous record for container traffic volume in December was 320,018 TEUs in December 2023.

○ According to the IPA, the volume of container traffic volume handled last year was 1,772,061 TEUs for imports and 1,737,129 TEUs for exports, up 2.0% and 3.7%, respectively, from 2023, while the volume of transshipment cargo recorded 49,265 TEUs.

○ The export share by country was as follows: China 66.0%, Vietnam 8.4%, Taiwan 3.6%, Hong Kong 2.5%, and Malaysia 2.0%. Container exports to these five major countries accounted for 82.5% of the total volume of exported goods.

 ○ The import share by country was as follows: China 56.2%, Vietnam 13.4%, Thailand 6.1%, Indonesia 3.2%, and the United States 3.2%. Container imports from these five major countries accounted for 82.1% of the total import volume.

○ In particular, the major trading countries whose container traffic volume increased significantly at Incheon Port last year were China and the United States, with increases of 124,186 TEUs and 11,197 TEUs, respectively.

○ This year, the IPA plans to expand its overseas port sales to various countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Taiwan, and Japan, in addition to the Americas and China, in order to increase the cargo traffic volume handled at Incheon Port. It will also promote joint marketing through business consultations with local cargo owners, operators, and shipping companies, and joint presentations with terminal operators in Incheon and domestic shipping companies.

○ Lee Kyung-Gyu, president of the Incheon Port Authority, said, “Last year, we encountered negative factors such as a surge in ocean freight charges from the Middle East and an intensifying trade dispute between the US and China, but thanks to the efforts of the Incheon Port-related industries and organizations, we were able to achieve the largest container traffic volume in history.” He added, “This year, the internal and external environment remains tough, with concerns about exchange rates, sluggish domestic demand, and the Trump administration's second term tariff policy. Nonetheless, we will strive to achieve our goal of 3.6 million TEUs this year.”

□ Monthly container traffic volume

(Unit: TEU, %)

□ Container traffic volume by import and export

(Unit: 1,000 TEU, %)

□ Top 2 countries with the largest increase in container traffic volume

(Unit: 1,000 TEU, %)