• Cotonou Port handled 6.7m tons in H1 2025, up 63% year-on-year, despite a slowdown in Q2 activity.
• Imports rose 55% to 4.1m tons, while exports nearly doubled to 2.16m tons, boosting trade momentum.
• Transshipment fell 8.6% overall but rebounded in Q2, reinforcing Cotonou’s hub role in West Africa.

The Autonomous Port of Cotonou handled a total of 6.7 million tons of goods between January and June 2025, according to the government’s budget execution report. This figure represents a 63% increase compared to the same period in 2024, underscoring Benin’s growing importance as a logistics hub in West Africa. However, activity slowed in the second quarter, with volumes falling to 3.15 million tons—down 10.4% from the first quarter—highlighting the port’s sensitivity to seasonal and regional trade dynamics.

The strong performance in the first half was driven by significant increases in both imports and exports. Imports reached just over 4.1 million tons, up nearly 55% year-on-year, confirming Cotonou’s role as the main entry point for consumer goods, industrial inputs, and food products destined for both the domestic market and the Sahelian hinterland. Exports almost doubled to 2.16 million tons, reflecting the dynamism of agricultural exports and re-exports. The number of vessels calling at Cotonou also increased from 338 to 404 year-on-year, a sign of the port’s strengthened attractiveness and operational capacity.

Transshipment, a strategic segment for competitiveness, declined slightly compared to 2024, totaling about 205,000 tons for the semester (–8.6%). Yet the second quarter saw a sharp rebound, with volumes jumping more than 300% compared to the first quarter. This points to renewed efforts by shipping lines to reinsert Cotonou into regional maritime flows, despite stiff competition from Lomé and Tema ports. At the same time, tare operations (handling and conditioning) grew by more than 50%, boosting port revenues and reflecting increased logistics intensity.

Beyond the raw numbers, Cotonou Port’s dynamics offer insights into Benin’s macroeconomic trends. The surge in imports confirms robust domestic demand while also exposing the structural reliance of the economy on manufactured goods from abroad. The export boom signals stronger integration into regional and global trade, with positive spillovers on the balance of payments.

The Q2 rebound in transshipment shows renewed confidence from maritime operators, who increasingly view Cotonou as a hub within West African supply chains. Still, the slowdown in Q2 underscores the fragility of this momentum, vulnerable to external shocks such as insecurity on the Benin-Niger corridor, global trade tensions, and the seasonality of flows.

Cotonou Port thus plays a role far beyond logistics. It is a barometer of the national economy, reflecting trends in household consumption, the vitality of agricultural exports, and Benin’s ability to position itself as a strategic gateway for the sub-region. By consolidating its performance, the port not only increases customs and tax revenues for the state but also underpins overall economic growth, which remains heavily dependent on external trade and logistics services.