Port freight statistics: 2011 final figures
This publication presents final detailed statistics on freight handled by major UK ports. It updates and expands on provisional statistics published in July 2012.
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Details
Summary
This publication presents final detailed statistics on freight handled by major UK ports. It updates and expands on provisional statistics published in July 2012. A look-up table cross-referencing tables from the former Maritime Statistics compendium and other printed publications with the new web tables is available with the tables below.
Key points
- In 2011, total freight traffic through UK ports was 519 million tonnes (Mt), an increase of 1% on 2010, but still 11% below the 2005 level. The traffic handled by UK ports has generally grown fairly steadily over the long term. The first decade of the 21st century saw a levelling off of this trend, albeit with the highest ever traffic recorded in 2005. This was followed by a substantial drop of 11 per cent between 2008 and 2009 with the onset of the recession.
- Compared with 2010, inwards traffic increased by 5% to 328 Mt, whilst outwards traffic decreased by 4% to 192 Mt.
- Grimsby and Immingham remained the UK’s leading port in 2011, handling 57 Mt (11% of UK traffic). It was followed by London with 48.8 MT (9%), Milford Haven with 48.7 Mt (9%) and Southampton with 38 Mt (7%).
- In 2011, UK major ports handled 15.3 million freight units, almost unchanged compared with 2010. They also handled 6.0 million passenger vehicles, a decrease of 4% on 2010.
- Dover, the top UK port for roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) freight, handled 2 million ro-ro main freight units (road goods vehicles, unaccompanied trailers and shipborne port-to-port trailers).
- Felixstowe was the UK’s largest container port handling 2 million containers.
Technical information
Technical notes and the pre-release access list on port freight statistics is available.
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