Croatian Port Cargo Volumes Up 18.5% in Third Quarter of 2026

Cargo throughput at Croatia's seaports grew 18.5% in the third quarter of 2026, reaching 6.6 million tonnes, according to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS). The main driver was the containerized cargo segment, which rose 69.4% in tonnage and came to account for 34% of total volume handled.

Liquid cargo, which accounted for 45% of the total, grew 4% compared with the third quarter of 2025. By contrast, dry bulk cargo, with a 10% share, fell 31.6% over the same period. Nationwide figures climbed from 5.567 million tonnes in the third quarter of 2025 to 6.598 million tonnes in the same period of 2026.

Among the five ports that accounted for 92% of total cargo throughput, Rijeka led growth with a 75.4% increase, reaching 2,245,779 tonnes. It was followed by Omišalj, up 8.7% to 1,809,602 tonnes, and Split, which grew 7.5% to 719,051 tonnes. On the other hand, Ploče declined 8.3% to 816,519 tonnes and Bakar dropped 27.2% to 467,258 tonnes.

Rijeka's strong performance came after Rijeka Gateway, a container terminal developed by APM Terminals and Croatia's ENNA Group, began commercial operations in September 2025. The terminal handled more than 370,000 TEU in its first year of operation, receiving 100 vessels and more than 1,000 trains, although the national figures do not specify how much of Rijeka's growth is attributable to this facility. Meanwhile, Jadranska vrata handled 254,798 TEU at the Brajdica container terminal between January and September 2026, down 26% from 342,628 TEU in the same period of 2025; port operator Luka Rijeka holds a 49% stake in that company.

In the first nine months of 2026, cargo throughput at Croatia's seaports grew 20%, reaching 18.992 million tonnes, compared with 15.825 million tonnes in the same period of 2025. In addition, 18.4 million passengers embarked or disembarked at Croatian maritime terminals in the third quarter of 2026, up 0.8% from the same quarter of 2025.