Germany’s Rostock Overseas Port handled a record 15.9m tonnes of cargo in the first half of 2026, as growth in ferry and ro-ro traffic offset declines in liquid bulk and general cargo, according to ROSTOCK PORT.
The January-to-June total was 200,000 tonnes above the same period of 2025 and 100,000 tonnes higher than the previous first-half record set in 2023. Cargo across the wider Rostock port area, including the cargo and fishing port and the Yara chemical harbour, reached 16.73m tonnes. The smaller facilities contributed about 830,000 tonnes, up 30,000 tonnes year on year.
Ferry and ro-ro volumes rose by about 400,000 tonnes to 8.8m tonnes, accounting for 55% of the overseas port’s throughput. Accompanied truck traffic on three ferry and three ro-ro links with Denmark, Sweden and Finland increased by 10,300 units to 206,400, while unaccompanied traffic rose 5% to 74,000 trailers and other cargo units.
Vessel calls fell to 3,547 from 3,712, including 2,800 ferry and ro-ro calls against 2,878 a year earlier. Ferry passenger traffic was broadly unchanged at 1.01m. Liquid bulk declined by 180,000 tonnes to 3.8m tonnes, including just under 3m tonnes of crude oil imported for the PCK refinery in Schwedt. Dry bulk increased by 140,000 tonnes to 2.9m tonnes despite a 200,000-tonne fall in grain shipments to 1.2m tonnes. General cargo dropped by 135,000 tonnes to 315,000 tonnes amid lower volumes of pipes, wind-energy components, cranes and steel plates.
Managing directors Gernot Tesch and Jens Scharner linked the result to the port’s diversified cargo base and cooperation among shipping companies, terminal operators, freight forwarders, railway companies and public authorities. Main construction work extending tracks at the combined transport terminal to 680 metres was completed in June. Preparations for commissioning were scheduled for July after final crane modifications.
ROSTOCK PORT GmbH manages, develops and maintains Rostock port infrastructure and is the sole operator of its ferry and cruise facilities. The Hanseatic City of Rostock owns 74.9% and the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania owns 25.1%. The company employs more than 170 people.