Levantine Port Impacts: Resilience and Trade Shifts After the Gaza and Lebanon Wars

This report analyzes how the Gaza and Lebanon wars (post-October 2023) affected three major Arab Levant ports — Aqaba (Jordan), Beirut (Lebanon), and Tripoli (Lebanon) — as strategic gateways into the broader Levant hinterland (Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine). All three ports remain operational but need significant investment to meet demand. Aqaba fared best — least impacted by the conflicts, now performing better than pre-war levels, and strengthening trade ties with Syria, Iraq, and Mediterranean ports. Beirut suffered most — already weakened by Lebanon's financial crisis and the 2020 port explosion, the war deepened its decline, though 2025 data shows some recovery. Tripoli fared better than Beirut but didn't overtake it as Lebanon's top port; its future depends partly on competition from Syrian ports.

Data Highlights: Imported goods at the Port of Beirut dropped at least 10% in value in 2023, but all categories rebounded by 2025, with transport equipment growing 66%. Container throughput (TEU) in Lebanon grew 75.5% from 2022 to 2024. Aqaba saw a 43% rise in port performance rankings (70th→41st) and an 89% jump in freight export value, while Beirut's rankings collapsed (68th→226th).

Trade Route Shifts: Aqaba gained importance as a stable alternative route for Levantine and Iraqi-bound cargo via the Aqaba-Amman-Baghdad corridor, while shipping to Beirut/Tripoli increasingly relies on alternate paths (e.g., Dubai→Aqaba→Nuweiba→Beirut) due to instability.

Industry Response: Major carriers (Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd) issued security advisories, shifting some traffic to safer hubs (Piraeus, Mersin, Port Said) and even rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid Red Sea risk near Aqaba — prioritizing predictability over cost efficiency.

Conclusion: The Levant's role in global trade is shifting: Aqaba is emerging as a more resilient gateway, Syrian ports (Latakia, Tartous) may re-enter competition post-Assad, and the region's value increasingly lies in transshipment and re-export rather than production — with much investment potential still untapped.