Yang Ming

Shipping Arabia, September 22, 2026 – Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) became the largest container carrier operating through Damietta Port in 2025, handling 29.3% of the port’s container traffic as transshipment remained a major component of carrier volumes.

According to the latest Damietta Port Authority statistics, MSC handled approximately 375,800 TEUs, with transshipment accounting for 71.7% of its traffic through the port. The carrier had handled around 210,300 TEUs in 2024.

Yang Ming ranked second, accounting for 18.5% of Damietta’s container activity with approximately 236,800 TEUs. Unlike several other major carriers, foreign trade imports and exports represented 51.3% of Yang Ming’s traffic through the port.

Ocean Network Express (ONE) followed with a 9.4% share and approximately 120,000 TEUs, of which 61.9% was transshipment cargo. ONE had handled around 261,300 TEUs in 2024, when it accounted for 18.4% of the port’s container traffic.

Hapag-Lloyd recorded a particularly sharp shift, handling approximately 65,900 TEUs, equivalent to 5.1% of Damietta’s container activity, with transshipment representing 71% of its volume. In 2024, the carrier had handled around 454,700 TEUs and accounted for 32.1% of the port’s container traffic.

Other carriers serving Damietta included COSCO, CMA CGM, RCL and China Shipping.

Overall, Damietta received 1,007 containership calls in 2025, compared with 1,020 in 2024. Containerized cargo declined 6% to around 13.4 million tonnes, while throughput fell 10% to approximately 1.42 million TEUs, from 1.58 million TEUs a year earlier.

The figures highlight the importance of transshipment to Damietta’s container business, while also showing a significant redistribution of volumes among the major global carriers using the Egyptian Mediterranean gateway.

Source: Almal News

Shipping Arabia, September 20, 2026 – Damietta Container & Cargo Handling Company is simultaneously handling four containerships involving 6,395 container moves, including two 368-meter Yang Ming mother vessels, highlighting the terminal’s capacity to manage large mainline ships alongside feeder operations.

The four vessels are being worked across the terminal’s container berths 1 to 6, which extend for a combined 1,450 meters.

Yang Ming’s YM Wellhead, measuring 368 meters with a draught of 15.8 meters, is alongside berths 1-2 for an operation involving 2,387 moves. Sister vessel YM Window, also 368 meters long and drawing 13.8 meters, is being handled at berths 2-3 with 2,386 moves.

The two mother vessels are operating alongside feeder services. Maersk’s 175-meter AS Sara is at berth 4 for 1,122 moves, while the 140-meter Jona Sophie, operated by United Feeder Services (UFS), is at berth 5 for a further 500 moves.

Together, the four operations represent 6,395 moves across the terminal, combining mainline and feeder activity within the same operational window.

Rear Adm. Dr. Rafik Galal, Executive Managing Director of Damietta Container & Cargo Handling Company, said the dimensions of the vessels currently alongside remain below the terminal’s maximum operational capability.

The terminal has previously handled containerships approaching 400 meters in length with draughts of up to 16.10 meters, supported by berth development and deepening works and investment in additional ship-to-shore (STS) and rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes.

Galal said the infrastructure and equipment programme is intended to improve handling efficiency and maintain the terminal’s ability to accommodate newer generations of ultra-large containerships.

The continued development forms part of Egypt’s wider port and logistics strategy, with Damietta strengthening its capacity to serve mainline and feeder networks in the Eastern Mediterranean and support growing transshipment activity.

Source: Damietta Container & Cargo Handling Company