Abidjan and San Pedro Ports: What Each of Côte d'Ivoire's Two Logistics Gateways Does Best

Côte d'Ivoire (in West Africa, French-speaking, the world's largest cocoa producer) has two autonomous ports: the Port of Abidjan in the east and the Port of San Pedro in the south-west. They differ greatly in scale and play different roles. Knowing the strengths of each helps you plan how goods move in and out and how to structure a regional footprint.

Port of Abidjan: the national trade backbone and gateway to landlocked countries

The Port of Abidjan celebrated its 75th anniversary in September 2025. According to the port authority, total throughput reached 46.6 million tonnes in 2025, up about 16% from 40.1 million tonnes in 2024. Container volume was 1,697,131 TEU, up 3.1%, and the port is targeting 2 million TEU by 2027.

Abidjan is also the outlet to the sea for landlocked neighbours. Transit cargo totalled 3.91 million tonnes in 2025, up 34.1%, of which around 2.4 million tonnes moved to and from Burkina Faso and around 1.47 million tonnes to and from Mali. Speaking at the 75th-anniversary event, Côte d'Ivoire's Prime Minister said the port handles 75% of the country's foreign trade and generates 78% of its customs revenue.

On the investment side, some 1.1 trillion CFA francs were invested between 2011 and 2024: a ro-ro terminal was completed in 2018, the deepening of the Vridi Canal (Canal de Vridi) was finished in 2019, the second container terminal opened in 2022 and the grain terminal in 2023.

Port of San Pedro: the export port for cocoa and the west

The Port of San Pedro opened on 4 December 1972. In its early years it was dominated by timber, which made up around 90% of throughput between 1972 and 1982; from 1983 onwards rubber, cocoa, cotton and citrus fruit were added. Today it is described as the world's largest cocoa-bean export port, shipping more than 1 million tonnes a year.

The range of cargo is also widening. Besides coffee, cocoa and cement products, the port now handles minerals, cotton, fertiliser, rubber and palm oil. The multipurpose industrial terminal opened in 2022 is 270 metres long, has storage capacity of about 250,000 tonnes and can accommodate Panamax vessels of up to 80,000 tonnes deadweight. It mainly handles nickel, manganese and cement products, and the port also plans to build a container terminal.

Throughput was 7,023,763 tonnes in 2023 and about 7.4 million tonnes in 2024. Imports are growing too: in 2025 the port received 3.5 million tonnes of imports, about 45% of total volume, including sugar, wheat, rice, building materials and some heavy equipment, while the fishing port handles frozen fish. The port stresses its proximity to western Côte d'Ivoire, and San Pedro lies in Zone B under the investment code, which qualifies for tax incentives.

The two ports compared

Questions to ask when assessing a port

Before choosing a port of entry or exit, check a few points with your freight forwarder or customs broker. Is your cargo containerised or bulk? Where in Côte d'Ivoire is its final destination, or is it heading on to a landlocked country? Is your export product one the port already has well-established experience handling (such as cocoa and minerals at San Pedro)? And which shipping lines currently call at each port, and what are the routes and transhipment points to Asia? These answers will shape cost and lead time far more than throughput figures alone.

One line for Asian companies

For general container cargo and goods bound for landlocked countries, Abidjan is the main choice; when sourcing cocoa or minerals or entering the western market, San Pedro deserves a place in your assessment — then ask your forwarder to compare actual routes and costs.

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References: KOACI – Port d'Abidjan : croissance de 16 % en 2025 (2026); Connectionivoirienne – 75ᵉ anniversaire du Port d'Abidjan (2025); AIP – Port de San Pedro et les importations (2026); Connectionivoirienne – Terminal industriel polyvalent de San Pedro (2026); AIP – Trafic du Port de San Pedro en 2023 (2024)