Chittagong Port handled a record 3.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) through December 30, 2025, a 4 percent year-on-year increase. This cements the port’s status as Bangladesh’s maritime lifeline, handling approximately 99 percent of the nation’s total container traffic.

Official data show the port moved 3,402,762 TEUs by December 30, surpassing the previous record of 3,275,627 TEUs set in 2024. Data compiled from the main jetty, Kamalapur Container Depot, and Pangaon Inland Terminal includes both laden and empty units.

Cargo handling across all categories also saw major growth. By December 30, total cargo volume — including containerised goods — reached 137.8 million tonnes, a jump of more than 11 percent from the 123.9 million tonnes handled in 2024. Bulk cargo through the port — primarily industrial raw materials, fuel oil, and consumer goods — accounted for the volume surge.

Port Director (Administration) Md Omar Faruk told Bonik Barta that the 3.4 million TEU milestone was achieved a day before the year ended. “This is the highest in the port’s history,” he said. “Adding December 31’s figures will push the total by another 8,000 TEUs. A significant achievement is that the average vessel berthing time has now fallen to virtually zero.”

The port authority, he added, continually works to boost capacity and ensure uninterrupted service for import-export businesses.

“The improvements in container vessel turn-around time, waiting time, and dwell time are now clearly visible,” Faruk stated. He emphasised the broader economic benefit, saying, “The reduction in ships’ idle time at anchorage is yielding substantial foreign exchange savings every day.”

Beneath the record annual figures, however, lies a troubling trend: a sustained four-month slide in container volumes. After handling 326,523 TEUs in August 2025, the port saw consecutive monthly drops: 312,270 TEUs in September, 286,092 TEUs in October, and 285,348 TEUs in November.

Businesses using the port attribute this late-year slide to a contraction in import and export, a trend underscored by a sharp reduction in vessels’ waiting time at outer anchorage. Ships now frequently secure a berth immediately upon arriving within the port area.

Traders note that while exports through Chittagong typically see a boost in the final quarter ahead of Western Christmas festivities, this seasonal lift failed to materialise fully. Simultaneously, a domestic slump in industrial goods sales has negatively impacted raw material imports.

Port statistics confirm the trend. Loaded export container handling fell from 88,408 TEUs in August to 71,234 TEUs in September, dipping further to 71,117 TEUs in October.

“The annual handling figure shows growth, but the final months may tell a different story,” said Salim Rahman, managing director of KDS Group. “Business in the export sector is slowing. While some seasonal variation is normal, the Christmas demand in buyer countries should have sustained exports over these months.”

He identified a critical pressure point: “Many foreign buyers are delaying orders due to issues with port tariffs. Our own exporters report business is worsening. Looking ahead, there are broader challenges. Looming LDC graduation remains a primary concern for the export sector, with many of us unsure how to navigate the transition.”

While acknowledging the improved vessel turn-around time as good news, he urged authorities to note the recent negative growth trends.

A parallel decline is evident in imports. Loaded import containers fell from 169,983 TEUs in August to 165,392 in September and 146,246 in October.

Industrial importers cite three principal reasons for the drop. “If I speak for the heavy industries of steel and cement, sales have dropped by up to 18 percent compared to last year,” said Md Alamgir Kabir, vice chairman of Crown Cement and chairman of GPH Steel. “Secondly, entrepreneurs are now reluctant to take on risk given the uncertain outlook. Another issue is that while banks claim there is no problem with imports, the reality is different. Although better than before, difficulties remain in opening LCs at many banks due to dollar shortages and rate disparities.”

Another significant structural issue, he noted, is that many foreign banks are declining to accept LCs directly from Bangladeshi private banks. Instead, they demand “add confirmation” — a significant structural hurdle that is further stifling import activity.