The Grand Port Maritime de La Réunion (GPM) has released its definitive 2025 results: 6.09 million tonnes of goods handled, up 4% on the year. The port surpasses its previous all-time record of 6.026 million tonnes set in 2021, firmly establishing itself as the Indian Ocean's reference logistics hub.
Container Traffic Remains the Backbone
Container traffic accounts for over 60% of total volume, with 370,433 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) handled. While this marks a slight 2% decline in unit count, heavier containerised cargo pushed container tonnage up 2%.
Transshipment, though down 6% from its 2024 peak (when it surged 64%), remains at a structurally high level. This activity — redistributing goods in transit to other islands across the region — confirms Port Réunion's role as a redistribution node in the Indo-Pacific arc.
Energy: The New Traffic Driver
The most significant finding of 2025 is energy's emergence as the leading bulk cargo category. Nearly one million tonnes of energy products passed through the port, up 24%, driven primarily by wood pellet imports (+40%) for Albioma's power plants, in line with Réunion's energy transition roadmap.
Conversely, bulk sugar exports collapsed by 75% — a dramatic decline reflecting the deep structural transformation of the cane industry, which is pivoting toward product diversification and local value-addition. Cement and clinker, by contrast, rose 13% and 4% respectively.
Why It Matters
The 6.09 million tonne record is more than an accounting figure: it positions Réunion as an indispensable logistics pivot between East Africa, Madagascar, the Indian Ocean islands and Asia. For businesses across the region, Port Réunion is an increasingly powerful commercial competitiveness lever. Its dynamism directly mirrors the intensification of trade across the entire Indian Ocean basin — and a strong argument for Réunion's strategy as a Europe-Africa-IO hub.
Sources: Grand Port Maritime de La Réunion, 2025 Activity Report, Leader Réunion