Swiss Rhine Ports: Cargo Handling Decreases in June

The Swiss Rhine Ports handled a total of 363,303 tons of goods on the water side in June 2026. Compared to the same month last year, this represents a decrease of 15.2 percent. Despite the weaker month, the balance for the first half of the year remains positive: From January to the end of June, 2.323 million tons were handled – a slight increase of 0.6 percent compared to the same period last year.

In terms of imports (supply), 300,128 tons were registered in June, which corresponds to a decrease of 13.7 percent compared to June 2025. However, since the beginning of the year, the supply remains 3.9 percent above the previous year’s figure at 1.883 million tons. Notably, the goods categories of stones and earth (+37.7%), vehicles, machinery, and other goods (+32.0%), as well as metal products (+14.9%), saw significant increases in the first half of the year. In contrast, imports of mineral oil products (-6.6%) and food and beverages (-12.2%) declined.

Exports (removal), on the other hand, developed more weakly. In June, 63,174 tons were loaded, representing a decrease of 21.8 percent compared to the previous year. Cumulatively, the removal amounted to 439,942 tons, which is 11.3 percent below the previous year’s level. The export of recycling materials and waste remained stable, while the export of metal products increased significantly compared to the first half of the year.

Regionally, Kleinhüningen was the only port section to record growth in June. With 100,415 tons, the handling was 6.3 percent above the previous year’s figure. The locations Auhafen (-28.0%) and Birsfelden (-18.1%) experienced noticeable declines. However, when considering the entire first half of the year, Birsfelden remains 4.1 percent up, while Kleinhüningen increased by 1.1 percent.

The container traffic on the waterway also weakened slightly in June. With 8,717 TEU, the lowest monthly value of the current year was reached. In total, 57,552 TEU were handled on the water side in the first six months. In contrast, the rail-side container traffic developed positively: In June, 4,964 TEU were registered – the highest monthly value of the year so far. Since January, the rail-side container handling has totaled 26,172 TEU.

Overall, this presents a mixed picture. While June remained below the previous year’s figures, particularly in imports and exports, the Swiss Rhine Ports managed to maintain slight growth in goods handling in the first half of the year. Noteworthy are the continued robust development in construction and metal goods, as well as the increasing importance of rail-side container traffic.