Rebound traffic in French ports, but still uneven recovery
In 2025, the French ports recorded a marked rebound in their traffic, confirming a recovery after a more hesitant year 2024. According to the table communicated, the total traffic reached 328,079 tons, up 3.1% over one year, although it still remains 1.6% below its 2022 level. This improvement joins the idea of an overall recovery of the French maritime, carried by several large ports, but also by some smaller basins which have regained momentum.
In detail, performance is contrasting but generally upwards. Haropa remains the first harbour complex with 84,734 tons, in slight progress of 1.8% over a year, while Marseille dates back to 74,000 tons after a previous year in decline. Dunkirk grew to 48,000 tonnes, Calais remained solid at 40,000 tonnes and Nantes – Saint-Nazaire showed a net rebound of 26,400 tonnes, after a sharp decline in 2024. Sète also continued its progression, at 6,000 tons, with a positive trajectory over three years.
However, this recovery does not erase the structural weaknesses highlighted by developments over several years. Several ports remain below their 2022 level, like Marseille, Dunkirk, Nantes – Saint-Nazaire, La Rochelle, Bordeaux and Lorient. Others, like Calais or Sète, manage to consolidate their dynamics. In the overseas countries, the trend is more favourable, with a total traffic of 13,716 tons, up 6.2% over one year, drawn notably by La Réunion, Martinique and Guyana.
Basically, these figures confirm a double movement. On the one hand, French port traffic recovered clearly in 2025, a sign of more sustained economic activity and a better balance of flows. On the other hand, the recovery remains uneven between ports and territories, which shows that French port competitiveness remains a central issue. This rebound thus appears less as a complete return to normal than as a phase of consolidation, still fragile but real, for all the French maritime facades.