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The Cebu Port Authority expects a 1.4% increase in cargo volumes and 2.5% higher passenger traffic at Cebu ports this year following record growth in 2024
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For 2025, Cebu ports are projected to handle 72.9 million metric tons of cargoes and 20.088 million passengers
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Coal was Cebu ports’ top import product while transport equipment was the top export for 2024
The Cebu Port Authority (CPA) expects a 1.4% increase in cargo volumes and 2.5% higher passenger traffic at Cebu ports this year following record growth in 2024.
For 2025, Cebu ports are projected to handle 72.9 million metric tons of cargoes, slightly higher than the 71.90 million mt posted in 2024, CPA terminal operations officer for Cebu International Port (CIP) Jan Jeiynold Butaslac said in a presentation during the recently concluded 4th Visayas Shipping Conference and Exhibit 2025 organized by PortCalls in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry-Region 7.
CPA also sees passenger traffic growing to 20.088 million from 19.58 million in 2024.
The 71.90 million mt cargo volume handled last year was 6.5% higher than the 67.52 million mt in 2023, while the 19.58 million passengers were 4.4% up from 18.75 million in 2023.
Coal was Cebu ports’ top import product, accounting for 3.899 million mt in 2024.
Other top import products last year were the following:
- Wheat, 1.494 million mt
- Clinker, 1.456 million mt
- Iron and steel products, 648,653 mt
- Electrical/electronic tools/gadgets and hardware, 347,366 mt
- Construction materials and home furnishings/decors, 273,197 mt
- Rice, 269,921 mt
- Animal feeds and feed components, 238,368 mt
- Slag, 220,557 mt
- Chemicals/plastics, 191,892 mt
Transport equipment was the top export product with 400,463 mt. Other top exports include:
- Dolomite, 211,900 mt
- Copper concentrate, 196,903 mt
- Furniture, 47,775 mt
- Frozen meat and marine products, 31,465 mt
- Construction materials and home furnishings/decors, 30,896 mt
- Metalliferous ores and metal scrap, 28,718 mt
- Iron and steel products, 28,682 mt
- Electrical/electronic tools/gadgets and hardware, 26,110 mt
- Chemicals/plastics, 22,085 mt
Butaslac said the same commodities are expected to contribute to this year’s projected increase in cargo volume. Throughput will also be bolstered by various projects that expand Cebu port’s capacity, such as berth expansion and dredging, allowing for bigger vessels to call the port.
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, will be 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
READ: New Cebu International Container Port finally breaks ground
