By Theo Notteboom
✅ The scatter plot displays the 2025 container throughput (logarithmic scale) against the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)/ MDS Transmodal Ltd Liner Shipping Connectivity Index (LSCI) in Q4 2025.
✅The graph challenges the simplistic assumption that a larger container volume automatically goes hand in hand with a better connectivity. The relationship between container throughput and liner shipping connectivity in EU ports is strong but far from deterministic.
✅ At the top-right corner, Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges combine very large volumes with exceptionally high connectivity scores. Several other ports handle substantial container volumes but exhibit different connectivity levels. The colour coding based on transhipment incidence (i.e., the share of sea-sea transhipment flows in total container throughput) is particularly revealing.
✅ A number of transhipment hubs (white markers) such as Piraeus, Gioia Tauro and Marsaxlokk show connectivity levels that are disproportionately low compared with their throughput.
✅ Gateway ports (yellow markers) often have lower connectivity than volume would suggest. Marseille, in particular, combines significant container volumes with a low LSCI. However, there are several ports with predominantly hinterland-oriented cargo exhibiting a proportionally high connectivity such as Genoa, La Spezia, Salerno, Civitavecchia and Castellon.
✅ The middle tier of mixed ports (blue markers) is highly heterogeneous. Among these ports, Gdansk is an outlier as the Polish port combines high container volumes with a relatively low liner shipping connectivity.
