Beirut Port freight activity receded to around 362 thousand tons during the month of April 2024, down from 492 thousand tons in the previous month. On a cumulative basis, freight activity rose by 0.78% y-o-y during the first four months of 2024 to 1,661 thousand tons up from 1,648 thousand tons a year earlier. The number of vessels rose by 27.79% year-on-year to 515 in comparison with 403 a year earlier, while the number of imported cars contracted by more than 43% to 11,890 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 225.661 thousand TEUs (including transshipments) up to April 2024 in comparison with a relatively similar cargo capacity of some 243.428 thousand TEUs a year earlier.