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Cargo volumes handled by Cebu ports grew 5.5% to 75.873 million metric tons in 2025, driven by the increase in domestic cargoes
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Container traffic recorded a very minimal 0.05% increase to 993,756 TEUs as domestic containers dropped while foreign containers improved with higher exports
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Rolling cargoes had the highest increase of 10.1% to 1.95 million units
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Passenger traffic slightly grew 0.3% to 19.645 million
Cebu ports recorded higher cargo, container, and rolling cargo traffic in 2025, preliminary data from the Cebu Port Authority (CPA) showed.
Cargo volumes grew 5.5% to 75.873 million metric tons (mt) in 2025 from 71.901 million mt in 2024 driven by the increase in domestic cargoes, which accounted for 81.2% of the total last year.
Cebu ports handled 61.587 million mt of domestic cargo in 2024, up 7.8% from the 57.126 million mt posted in 2024.
Foreign cargo, on the other hand, dropped 3.3% to 14.286 million mt last year from 14.775 million mt.
The decline was due to the 3.9% decrease in imports–which was the bulk of the total foreign throughput–to 12.888 million mt from 13.415 million mt in 2024.
Exports, meanwhile, saw a 2.7% improvement in 2025 to 1.398 million mt from 1.360 million mt previously.
The top three gateways in Cebu in terms of cargo traffic were Argao subport with 15.818 million mt or a share of 20.8% of the total; Toledo subport with 12.15 million mt or a 16% share; and Sta. Fe subport with 8.775 million mt or an 11.6% share.
In terms of containers, Cebu ports recorded a very minimal 0.05% increase to 993,756 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2025 from 993,270 TEUs in 2024.
Domestic containers, which contributed 49.4% to the total, shrank 2.8% to 490,764 TEUs from 504,728 TEUs in 2024.
In contrast, foreign containers rose 3% to 502,992 TEUs from 488,542 TEUs as both import and export boxes recorded increases.
Export containers grew 4.2% to 262,881 TEUs, higher than imports, which likewise improved 1.7% to 240,111 TEUs.
Pier 1 in Cebu baseport handled the biggest container volume in 2025 with 356,594 TEUs , followed by Cebu International Port (CIP) with 316,820 TEUs and Pier 4 with 263,088 TEUs.
Rolling cargoes that passed through Cebu ports also grew in 2025, hiking 10.1% to 1.95 million units from 1.772 million units in 2024. The 2025 traffic also included 86 imported units.
Argao subport handled the biggest number of rolling cargoes last year with 441,910 units. Sta. Fe subport followed with 377,754 units and Toledo subport with 347,241 units.
Passenger traffic likewise improved, albeit slightly by 0.3% in 2025 with 19.645 million from 19.581 million in 2024.
Ship calls last year, meanwhile, were down 0.6% to 146,527 vessels from 147,442 vessels in 2024.
Domestic ship calls dropped 0.7% to 145,396 vessels while foreign ship calls climbed up 4.8% to 1,131 vessels.
READ: Cebu ports record 5.1% cargo volume growth in Jan-Sept 2025
CPA’s jurisdiction is composed of the Cebu baseport and its subports that are strategically located in different points of Cebu. Cebu baseport is composed of CIP and the domestic zone, while subports include the ports of Mandaue, Danao, Sta. Fe, Toledo and Argao.
A new port, the New Cebu International Container Port (NCICP), meanwhile, is being constructed in Tayug, Consolacion, some eight kilometers from the Cebu base port. Once operational, NCICP will handle international cargo operations while the Cebu baseport will service domestic and bulk and breakbulk shipments.
The new international terminal is seen as the long-term solution to growing volumes handled at CIP, which currently handles foreign cargoes at Cebu baseport. – Roumina Pablo
