Port St. Maarten records 2,377 vehicle imports in 2025

GREAT BAY--Automobiles remained a dominant category in Port St. Maarten’s cargo traffic during 2025, with 2,377 vehicles imported between January 1 and December 31, according to cargo figures comparing 2025 with the same period in 2024. While that represented a decline from the 2,641 vehicles imported in 2024, the data shows that vehicle imports continued to account for by far a large share of recorded cargo movements at the port.

The comparison indicates that automobile imports fell by 264 units, or approximately 10 percent, year over year. Even with that decline, the volume of cars brought into the country significantly outpaced every other cargo category listed in the figures, underlining the continued importance of vehicle imports to commercial activity and consumer demand in St. Maarten.

In gross registered tonnage, automobile imports actually showed a slight increase. The GRT for Automobiles IN rose from 4,240 in 2024 to 4,305 in 2025, an increase of 65, or roughly 1.5 percent. This suggests that although fewer vehicles were imported overall, the cargo mix may have included slightly heavier vehicles or shipments.

The cargo comparison also shows that automobile exports declined, with 49 vehicles shipped out in 2025, compared with 72 in 2024. That represented a decrease of 23 units, or just under 32 percent.

Transit automobile movements presented a mixed picture. Automobiles Transit IN fell from 619 units in 2024 to 584 in 2025, a decline of 35 units, or about 5.7 percent. However, Automobiles Transit OUT increased significantly, rising from 301 units in 2024 to 441 in 2025. That marked an increase of 140 units, or approximately 46.5 percent, making it one of the strongest year-over-year increases in the data set.

Taken together, all automobile-related categories, including imports, exports, and transit movements, totaled 3,451 units in 2025, compared with 3,633 units in 2024. That reflects an overall decline of 182 units, or about 5 percent, across the broader automobile segment.

Beyond vehicles, the figures show mixed movement in other cargo categories. In the marine category, Boats IN rose from 0 in 2024 to 14 in 2025, while Boats OUT remained unchanged at 1. Boats Transit IN increased from 9 to 12, and Boats Transit OUT rose from 9 to 10. While those numbers remain modest compared with vehicle traffic, they indicate slightly stronger movement in that segment during 2025.

Heavy equipment traffic also shifted during the year. Heavy equipment IN decreased from 12 units in 2024 to 8 in 2025, a decline of 33.3 percent. By contrast, Heavy equipment OUT more than doubled, rising from 8 to 19 units, an increase of 137.5 percent. Transit movements for heavy equipment also grew, with Heavy equipment transit IN moving from 14 to 18 units, and Heavy equipment transit OUT increasing from 11 to 13 units.

When all listed cargo categories are combined, total recorded cargo units declined from 3,697 in 2024 to 3,546 in 2025, a reduction of 151 units, or approximately 4.1 percent. Despite that drop in total unit count, the figures show a notable increase in total gross tonnage. Combined GRT rose from 7,343 in 2024 to 8,656 in 2025, an increase of 1,313, or nearly 18 percent.

That contrast, fewer cargo units but higher total tonnage, suggests that the port handled heavier shipments overall during 2025, even as the total number of individual cargo movements declined.

Still, the clearest takeaway from the 2025 comparison is that automobile imports remained the main driver of cargo traffic at Port St. Maarten. With 2,377 vehicles imported during the year, cars continued to represent the largest single cargo stream by a wide margin, reinforcing the central role of vehicle imports in the island’s trade and logistics activity.

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