Port of Gothenburg handles growing container volumes – rail transport reaches record levels

The Port of Gothenburg continued its positive growth trajectory in the first half of the year, handling 470,000 containers (TEU*). Efficiency improvements were also noted, driven by a higher share of fully loaded containers and reduced repositioning of empty units. At the same time, rail freight to and from the port reached record levels.

“Repositioning empty containers between ports is necessary for the logistics system to function, but ideally it should be kept to a minimum. The fact that we are handling more loaded containers while managing fewer empties reflects greater efficiency across the entire logistics chain,” says Claes Sundmark, Vice President Sales and Marketing at the Port of Gothenburg.

APM Terminals, which operates the port’s container terminal, reported its best month ever in July with 47,805 TEU handled — a figure that will be included in the next quarterly report. During the summer, two new services also commenced: CMA CGM introduced a Gothenburg–Baltic route, while Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd launched a new direct connection to and from Asia.

Record number of containers by rail
Rail continues to strengthen its position as the dominant inland transport mode. During the first six months, rail volumes grew by 4 percent, with more than 60 percent of all container freight now moving by train.

This trend puts the port on course for an all-time high in rail volumes. Growth is being driven by inland terminals across Sweden — in the north, south, as well as the east. In the wider Stockholm region alone, rail container volumes rose by 4 percent to more than 30,000 TEU in the first half of the year.

“The region hosts numerous central warehouses, particularly for consumer goods, and the rail link to the Port of Gothenburg is vital. Rail is efficient, nearly emission-free, and helps ease road congestion,” Sundmark adds.

Mixed trends across other segments
Intra-European RoRo** traffic rose by 1 percent to 272,000 units. The increase came in spring following a slower first quarter. Car handling fell by 7 percent to 124,000 vehicles, while energy flows declined by 13 percent to 9.4 million tonnes, largely due to lower refinery margins and maintenance shutdowns.

Dry bulk handling dropped 43 percent to 155,000 tonnes, mainly reflecting reduced demand for raw materials in infrastructure construction (stone, sand, gravel). Meanwhile, processed forest products continued their steady upward trend.

The port welcomed 16 cruise ship calls in the first half of the year, compared with last year’s record of 26.

Port of Gothenburg throughput, Q1-Q2 2025