France seaport freight traffic: Bordeaux
France seaport freight traffic: Bordeaux stood at 6.06 million tonnes in 2025, according to SDES – Service des données et études statistiques (Ministère de la Transition écologique). It is one of the indicators in the Freight transport (annual) table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 2000 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Freight transport (annual) table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross tonnage by port | |||||||||||
| Bordeaux | 6.06 | 6.16 | 6.19 | 6.55 | 6.6 | 6.05 | 6.81 | 7.06 | 7.27 | 7.84 | |
| Sète | 6 | 5.85 | 5.65 | 5.19 | 4.83 | 4.08 | 4.3 | 4.11 | 4.02 | 3.81 |
Understanding france seaport freight traffic: Bordeaux
This series calculates the total mass of maritime freight moving through the southwestern river-and-estuary port installations, encompassing both downstream coastal docks and upstream municipal quays. It separates this regional southwestern trade corridor from northern and Mediterranean maritime centers, highlighting local estuarine logistics. The compilation records bulk commodities, forest products, and general cargo transported by vessels navigating the river approach.
When reviewing these figures, analysts must account for estuarine siltation and dredging schedules that can temporarily restrict vessel drafts and impact annual throughput. Year-on-year comparisons provide a stable perspective, smoothing out seasonal river flow variations or maintenance delays. Comparing this estuarine port with deep-water coastal terminals requires noting that draft limitations on the river channel restrict the size of vessels that can access the upriver berths.
Frequently asked questions
- How does the river approach affect vessel access to this southwestern port?
- Navigating the estuary requires managing tidal windows and channel depth limits, which influences the maximum size of calling cargo ships.
- What types of commodities are traditionally handled at these quays?
- Forest products, regional agricultural goods, and industrial raw materials make up a notable share of the handled cargo.
- Does this metric include freight handled at downstream outports?
- The data aggregates activity across the entire port system, including downstream facilities designed to accommodate vessels unable to reach the city center.