Beirut Port freight activity accelerated to around 445 thousand tons during the month of December 2024, up from 373 thousand tons in the previous month, following the inking of a cease-fire agreement in late November. On a cumulative basis, freight activity remained almost flat on annual basis in 2024 at 5,412 thousand tons. The number of vessels increased by 6.49% year-on-year to 1,460 in comparison with 1,371 in 2023, while the number of imported cars contracted by 16.93% to 44,610 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 756,737 thousand TEUs (including transshipments) during the year 2024 in comparison with a higher cargo capacity of some 857,689 thousand TEUs in 2023.