Israeli ports handled approximately 29.52 million tonnes of cargo in the first half of 2026, up 4.6% from 28.22 million tonnes in the same period last year.
Data from Israel’s Shipping and Ports Authority also showed a strong end to the six-month period. Total cargo traffic reached 5.14 million tonnes in June alone. This was 17.6% higher than the 4.37 million tonnes recorded in June 2025.
Container activity recorded even stronger growth during the first half of the year.
Israeli ports handled approximately 1.81 million TEUs between January and June 2026. This represents an increase of 8.8% compared with 1.66 million TEUs during the same period in 2025.
June was particularly strong for container operations.
Container throughput reached approximately 312,551 TEUs during the month. In June 2025, the country’s ports handled around 261,304 TEUs.
As a result, container traffic increased by 19.6% year on year.
The number of individual containers also increased. Israeli ports handled about 1.06 million container units during the first six months of 2026. This was 7.2% higher than the roughly 987,000 units handled a year earlier.
Containerised cargo measured by weight showed more moderate growth.
Approximately 14.67 million tonnes of containerised cargo moved through Israeli ports in the first half of 2026. This compares with 14.38 million tonnes during the same period last year, representing growth of around 2%.
However, June again showed stronger momentum. Containerised cargo reached approximately 2.48 million tonnes during the month, up 12.7% from 2.20 million tonnes in June 2025.
The difference between growth in TEUs and container tonnage indicates that box volumes expanded faster than the weight of cargo transported inside them during the six-month period.
Grain traffic was another strong-performing segment during the first half of 2026.
Israeli ports handled approximately 2.91 million tonnes of grain between January and June. This was 24.9% higher than the 2.33 million tonnes recorded during the same period of 2025.
Growth accelerated further in June.
Monthly grain volumes reached around 507,815 tonnes, compared with 380,518 tonnes in June last year. This represents a year-on-year increase of approximately 33.5%.
The figures show that grain contributed significantly to the overall increase in cargo traffic during the first half of the year.
Dry bulk traffic reached approximately 2.58 million tonnes during the first six months of 2026.
This represents growth of 8.4% compared with approximately 2.38 million tonnes during the corresponding period last year.
June dry bulk volumes reached about 513,897 tonnes. This was 27.1% higher than the approximately 404,376 tonnes handled in June 2025.
The second quarter was also stronger than the first. Dry bulk volumes reached approximately 1.30 million tonnes between April and June, compared with 1.28 million tonnes during the first three months of the year.
The broader cargo figures also point to improving activity during the second quarter.
Israeli ports handled approximately 14.99 million tonnes between April and June 2026. This compares with 14.53 million tonnes in the first quarter.
Container throughput followed the same pattern.
The country’s ports handled approximately 919,513 TEUs during the second quarter, up from 890,058 TEUs during the first three months of the year.
Overall, the data show a stronger first half for Israel’s port sector, led by growth in container, grain and dry bulk traffic.
The sharp year-on-year increases recorded in June also suggest that cargo activity gained momentum towards the end of the reporting period.
