Beirut Port freight activity slowed during the month of May 2026 with the total weight of shipped goods dropping to around 445.8 thousand tons compared to 530.4 thousand tons a month earlier (15.95% decrease). On an annual basis, moreover, freight activity dropped by 2.98% Y-O-Y to 2,474 thousand tons during the first five months of the current year compared to 2,550 thousand tons in the equivalent period last year. The number of vessels also contracted by 9.93% y-o-y to 526 in comparison with 584 YTD May 2025, while the number of imported cars increased by 55.11% (11,382 cars) to 32,034 cars. Meanwhile, the Beirut port handled containers with a total cargo capacity of around 398.01 thousand TEUs (including transshipments) during the first five months of the year 2026 in comparison with a smaller cargo capacity of 330.09 thousand TEUs a year earlier.