Containers traffic at the Port of Lattakia declined 10 percent last year compared to 2011 according to the Lattakia International Container Terminal Company.
Data published on the website of the company show that in 2011 traffic reached 524,614 TEUs from 586,283 TEUs a year earlier.
 
No explanation was given for the decrease, which is likely due to the general contraction in business activity witnessed in Syria this year. The Port of Lattakia also serves the Iraqi market, which probably explains the fact that the rate of decline is lower than what one would have expected from the severity of the economic downturn.
 
LICT is a private joint-venture between Souria Holding, a Syrian holding company, CMA-CGM, a French shipping company, and Terminal Link, the port management subsidiary of CMA-CGM.
 
Lattakia is one of two ports in Syria to handle the transport of goods, the other being Tartous. A third port in Banias handles oil shipments.