# Assab (ER ASA)

**UN/LOCODE:** ER ASA  
**Country:** Eritrea  
**Water Body:** Red Sea; Indian Ocean  
**Harbor Size:** Small  
**Harbor Type:** Coastal (Natural)  
**GPS:** 13.0000, 42.7500

Roughly 11 m alongside its cargo piers and anchorage depths to about 14 m give Assab (UN/LOCODE ER ASA), on Eritrea's southern Red Sea coast, the physical capacity for breakbulk, dry bulk and modest container vessels — yet the natural harbour has stood largely idle commercially since the 1998–2000 border war severed Ethiopia's transit traffic. Present throughput is low and no regular liner service is confirmed, with much of the infrastructure considered in need of rehabilitation. In late 2025 Egypt agreed to develop and upgrade the port, while Ethiopia continues to press openly for access — so far without any formal cargo agreement and against a backdrop of strained Asmara–Addis relations. Inland connections run by road toward Addis Ababa; there is no rail link. For dependable container moves forwarders currently rely on Djibouti, while Massawa is Eritrea's better-equipped port for domestic freight.

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*Freight Academy — Seaport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/assab-port-er-asa](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/assab-port-er-asa)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/seaports/en/assab-port-er-asa](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/seaports/en/assab-port-er-asa)*

*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/seaports/assab-port-er-asa/llm-summary?lang=en*