IT Prefix and Three-Character Location Code
The first two characters identify Italy as IT. The following three characters identify the location, such as ITGOA for Genova, ITSPE for La Spezia and ITTRI for Trieste.
Seaports in Italy: Port Codes, Throughput & Regional Guide (2026)
Italy has 324 ports and terminals indexed in the Ecer Freight database, supporting Mediterranean, Adriatic and Tyrrhenian trade links between Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and global markets.
Use verified UN/LOCODE references to plan ocean freight, inland delivery and port-to-port routing in Italy.
Italy Port Overview
Italy’s port system combines major container gateways, ro-ro terminals, bulk facilities, ferry ports and smaller coastal facilities. The figures below distinguish Ecer Freight’s indexed coverage from official national and port-level operating statistics.
324
Italy ports & terminals indexed in our database
Ecer Freight database · Nov 2026
Approximately 490 million tonnes
Port cargo handled in 2025; year-on-year change varies by port authority
MOT 2025 port statistics
Approximately 11.5 million TEU
Container throughput in 2025; broadly stable year on year
Assoporti 2025 port data
More than 100 commercial berths
Major commercial port berths and terminals in 2025; capacity continued to expand selectively
MOT 2025 maritime overview
How many seaports does Italy have?
Italy has 324 seaports and terminals indexed by Ecer Freight in its Nov 2026 database snapshot. This is an indexed-coverage figure, not a claim that every facility is a commercial deep-sea container port.
What is Italy’s busiest container port?
Gioia Tauro is generally Italy’s largest container gateway by annual TEU volume, while Genova is a leading northern gateway. Ecer Freight records Gioia Tauro as ITGIT and Genova as ITGOA.
Which regions handle most of Italy’s sea freight?
The north-western Ligurian cluster around Genova and La Spezia, the northern Adriatic cluster around Trieste and Venice, and the southern transshipment cluster around Gioia Tauro are key freight areas. Traffic mix is subject to port-specific and seasonal variation.
Top Ports in Italy by Container Throughput
The indicative league table below uses 2025 container throughput reported or published by the relevant port authorities and industry sources. World ranks are approximate global container-port positions and should not be confused with the 324 facilities indexed by Ecer Freight.
Selected Italian container and cargo gateways, 2025
| World rank | Port | UN-LOCODE | 2025 throughput (M TEU) | YoY change | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approximately 45 | Gioia Tauro | ITGIT | 4.00 | +7.0% | Calabria and Southern Italy |
| Approximately 65 | Genova | ITGOA | 2.80 | +3.0% | Ligurian north-west |
| Approximately 100 | La Spezia | ITSPE | 1.30 | −2.0% | Ligurian north-west |
| Approximately 125 | Livorno | ITLEG | 0.90 | +2.0% | Tyrrhenian central Italy |
| Approximately 135 | Trieste | ITTRI | 0.84 | +4.0% | Northern Adriatic |
| Approximately 155 | Venice | ITVEN | 0.65 | +1.0% | Northern Adriatic |
| Approximately 180 | Napoli | ITNAP | 0.50 | −1.0% | Campania and Tyrrhenian south |
| Approximately 205 | Palermo | ITPAL | 0.35 | +2.0% | Sicily and central Mediterranean |
Italy Port Regions and Freight Roles
Port selection depends on cargo type, final delivery point, vessel service, equipment availability, customs requirements and inland transport. The following clusters use only ports indexed in the supplied Italy sample.
Ligurian North-West
The Ligurian cluster serves northern Italian manufacturing and consumer markets, with strong container, ro-ro and project-cargo connections.
Ports in the Ligurian north-west cluster
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genova | ITGOA | Genova | Containers, ro-ro, general cargo and project freight |
| La Spezia | ITSPE | La Spezia | Containers, general cargo and feeder services |
| Milano | ITMIL | Milano | Inland logistics and cargo-market reference for northern Italy |
| Asti | ITAST | Piedmont | Regional logistics reference |
Northern Adriatic
Northern Adriatic gateways provide access to Central and Eastern European markets through road, rail and short-sea networks.
Ports in the northern Adriatic and north-eastern cluster
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trieste | ITTRI | Trieste | Containers, liquid bulk and Central European gateway traffic |
| Venice | ITVEN | Graz | Containers, general cargo and industrial cargo |
| Venezia | ITVZA | Venice | Port and terminal reference for Venetian services |
| Ravenna | ITRAV | Emilia-romagna | Dry bulk, project cargo, general cargo and containers |
| Bologna | ITBLQ | Bologna | Inland logistics and industrial distribution reference |
Central Tyrrhenian and Southern Mainland
Tyrrhenian and southern mainland ports support domestic distribution, ferry networks, containers, vehicles, bulk cargo and regional imports.
Ports in the central and southern mainland cluster
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Livorno | ITLEG | Livorno | Containers, ro-ro, vehicles and general cargo |
| Civitavecchia | ITCIV | Lazio | Ro-ro, ferries, cruise traffic and general cargo |
| Napoli | ITNAP | Napoli | Containers, ro-ro, ferries and regional distribution |
| Salerno | ITSAL | Salerno | Containers, ro-ro, vehicles and general cargo |
| Ancona | ITANC | Marche | Ferries, ro-ro, containers and general cargo |
| Bari | ITBAR | Bari | Ferries, ro-ro and Adriatic short-sea cargo |
Islands and Southern Transshipment
Island and southern ports connect Italy with Mediterranean feeder, ferry, ro-ro and transshipment networks.
Ports in the island and southern transshipment cluster
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gioia Tauro | ITGIT | Gioia Tauro | Large-scale container transshipment |
| Palermo | ITPAL | Palermo | Containers, ferries, ro-ro and regional cargo |
| Catania | ITCAT | Catania | Ferries, general cargo and regional distribution |
| Cagliari | ITCAG | Cagliari | Containers, transshipment, ro-ro and island supply |
| Taranto | ITTAR | Taranto | Industrial cargo, bulk and container services |
Italy Port Codes and UN/LOCODE Structure
UN/LOCODE helps carriers, forwarders, customs teams and logistics platforms identify transport locations consistently. A code should be checked against the actual terminal, booking instruction and transport document.
City-Level and Terminal-Level References
A city or port-area code may cover more than one facility, while a carrier booking may require a specific terminal, depot or gate instruction. The UN/LOCODE should therefore be read together with the terminal name and bill-of-lading requirements.
How to Verify an Italy Port Code
Compare the code with the official UNECE reference and the Ecer Freight port-code directory. Confirm the final code with the carrier or terminal when a shipment involves transshipment, inland delivery or unusual cargo.
Shipping from Italy: Main Trade Lanes
Transit times are indicative port-to-port ranges. Actual schedules depend on carrier rotation, transshipment, equipment, customs release, congestion and the final inland destination.
Italy to East Asia
Container services from northern and southern Italian gateways connect manufacturers and distributors with East Asian markets.
Italy to North America
Atlantic services support machinery, fashion, food, automotive products and consumer goods moving between Italy and North America.
Italy to Mediterranean and Middle East
Short-sea and feeder services provide frequent connections across the Mediterranean, with transshipment options through major hubs.
Italy to Northern Europe
Road, rail, feeder and short-sea solutions link Italy with Northern European distribution centres and industrial markets.
Data Sources and Methodology
Port coverage, code presentation and traffic commentary are separated so that indexed facilities are not confused with national throughput rankings.
- Ecer Freight Ports Database — first-party database snapshot from Nov 2026 containing 324 indexed Italy ports and terminals.
- UNECE — UN/LOCODE structure and location-code reference framework.
- Italy Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport — national maritime, port and transport-statistics context for 2025.
- Assoporti — Italian port-association traffic and container-statistics context.
- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency — supplementary maritime location and port-reference context.
Italy Seaport FAQ
How many seaports does Italy have?
Italy has 324 seaports and terminals indexed by Ecer Freight in the Nov 2026 database snapshot. The figure includes indexed port and terminal locations and is not the same as the number of deep-sea container ports.
What is the largest container port in Italy?
Gioia Tauro is generally Italy’s largest container gateway by TEU volume. Its Ecer Freight code is ITGIT. Genova, coded ITGOA, is a major northern gateway.
What does the IT prefix mean in an Italy port code?
The first two characters, IT, identify Italy in the UN/LOCODE system. The final three characters identify a city or transport location, for example ITTRI for Trieste.
Which Italy port regions are important for ocean freight?
The Ligurian north-west, northern Adriatic, central Tyrrhenian, southern mainland and island clusters are important. Port choice depends on the service network, cargo type, inland destination and equipment availability.
How current are the Italy port figures?
The indexed-port count is based on the Nov 2026 Ecer Freight snapshot. Throughput commentary uses the latest complete annual period, 2025, while port-specific figures and rankings remain subject to later revisions by authorities and terminal operators.
Can Ecer Freight provide an Italy sea-freight quotation?
FCL and LCL quotation searches can be started through the relevant freight-rate tools. A final quotation is subject to origin, destination, commodity, container type, weight, sailing schedule, customs requirements and current carrier conditions.
Should the port code alone be used for booking?
No. The UN/LOCODE should be checked against the named terminal, carrier service, bill-of-lading instructions and inland delivery point. This is particularly important where a metropolitan area has several terminals or where cargo moves by feeder or transshipment service.
Editorial note: This Italy port guide combines the Ecer Freight location index with publicly available port, maritime and industry statistics. The indexed-port coverage is reviewed with the database snapshot, while traffic indicators and trade-lane commentary are reviewed quarterly or when reliable official updates become available.
Ecer Freight · Seaports in Italy: Port Codes, Throughput & Regional Guide (2026) · Data reviewed quarterly · Port Codes · Ports by Country · Contact