Incheon Port is maintaining steady growth by posting the best-ever container traffic volume last year.
The Incheon Port Authority (IPA) said the port handled 3,558,455 TEU in 2024, a 2.8 percent year-on-year increase over the previous year.
The figure represents a rise of some 100,000 TEU over the previous best-ever record of 3,461,362 TEU, established in 2023.
In December, Incheon Port handled 321,531 TEU of container cargoes, renewing the previous monthly best-ever record. The previous record was set at 320,018 TEU in December 2023.
Among the traffic volumes handled by Incheon Port Last year, imports and exports accounted for 1,772,061 TEU and 1,737,129 TEU, respectively.
The figures represent a 2.0 percent year-on-year rise and a 3.7 percent year-on-year surge, respectively. Transshipment volumes were tallied at 49,265 TEU.
IPA analyzed that Incheon Port saw not only exports and imports, but also transshipment cargo volumes log steady growth.
By country, China topped the list with a 66 percent portion of the export volume, followed by Vietnam with 8.4 percent, Taiwan with 3.6 percent, Hong Kong with 2.5 percent and Malaysia with 2 percent.
The five countries accounted for 82.5 percent of the total export volume handled by Incheon Port last year.
As for import volumes, China ranked 1st with a 56.2 percent share, followed by Vietnam with 13.4 percent, Thailand with 6.1 percent, Indonesia with 3.2 percent and the United States with 3.2 percent.
The five countries accounted for 82.1 percent of the total import volume, handled by the port last year.
The countries which saw container cargo volumes surge the most through Incheon Port were China and the United States.
The two countries posted 124,186 TEU and 111,97 TEU, indicating brisk trade through the port.
IPA plans to expand overseas port sales, targeting diverse countries, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Taiwan and Japan, on top of North America and China to further boost Incheon Port’s traffic volumes.
To this end, IPA plans to hold work negotiations with cargo owners while conducting joint marketing activities with Incheon Port’s terminal operators and Korean shipping companies.
IPA President Lee Kyung-gyu said, “Despite last year’s external uncertainties, such as sea fare hikes, caused by the Middle East, and worsening trade conflict between the United States and China, Incheon Port managed to achieve the best-ever container cargo volumes thanks to related organizations of Incheon Port and the business community, and even though we face with external and internal economic hardships, such as exchange instability, worsening of domestic demand slump U.S. President Trump’s second-term administration’s tariff policies this year, IPA will aggressively go for achieving the goal of 3.6 million TEU this year.”
IPA President Lee: IPA, Celebrating 20th Anniversary, Makes Year 2025, 1st Year of Leaping as Global Port Leader
The Incheon Port Authority, celebrating the 20th, delivered the Year 2025’s New Year’s message Jan. 2 in which IPA looked back achievements it made last year and declared a vision of jumping into a global port.
President Lee called for his executives and staffers’ active participation, saying that IPA will achieve a sustainable development by turning lemons into lemonade.
IPA also made major achievements, such as attracting 1.24 million sea tourism passengers and awarding of New Port first and second phase container pier and Inland Port first and 8th Pier Redevelopment Projects.
IPA plans to explore new sea routes and expand port sales in order to achieve the goal of handling 3.6 million TEU of container cargo volumes this year.
IPA plans to have Incheon Port attract logistics of the Seoul metropolitan area, such as E-commerce and K-food and boost exports through overseas branches.
As for the maritime tourism sector, IPA aims to attract 1.25 seas tourism passengers by inviting global cruises and expanding convenience facilities of the International Passenger Terminal.
The authority plans to offer convenience to West Coast residents and tourists thorough the opening new routes of the coastal terminal and supporting of safety.
President Lee proposed expanding port infrastructure as a major task.
IPA plans to ramp up cargo handling capabilities through the dedication of New Port’s first and second piers and creation of Aam Logistics Complex, and the dedication of smart logistics centers, while optimizing logistics traffic through the creation of an automated port embracing digital technologies.
On the occasion of the celebration of 20th anniversary, President Lee called on the firm to prepare for a better two decades and authority up its competitiveness as a global port with expertise and passion.
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