Beirut Port freight activity increased to around 492 thousand tons during the month of March 2024, up from 427 thousand tons in the previous month. On a cumulative basis, freight activity rose by 2.48% y-o-y during the first quarter of 2024 to 1,299 thousand tons up from 1,268 thousand tons a year earlier. The number of vessels rose by 25.16% year-on-year to 383 in comparison with 306 a year earlier, while the number of imported cars contracted by more than 42% to 8,410 cars as people flocked in early 2023 to buying cars ahead of any increases in the applicable exchange rate on custom fees. In a related context, the Beirut port handled containers with a total cargo capacity of around 178.946 thousand TEUs (including transshipments) up to March 2024 in comparison with a relatively similar cargo capacity of some 180.414 thousand TEUs a year earlier.