HAROPA seaborne traffic rose to 95 million tonnes (mt) after two years’ growth in 2017 and 2018, and the growth continues in a dynamic way at the beginning of 2019. At the end of May, HAROPA seaborne trade recorded a 5.1 per cent overall growth with 40 mt, enabled by the momentum in the container, dry bulk and liquid bulk trades. Besides, there has been a strong increase in river traffic by 55 per cent as a whole (figure as at the end of April).
Containers: +4 per cent
Container trade strongly rose in teu (+4 per cent) with 1.2 million teus and in tonnage (+4 per cent) with 12 mt. It’s worth noting that activity in April was a record; it has been the best month for more than 5 years on this trade, both in tonnes and in teus. This rise was mainly carried in Le Havre by the hinterland traffic (+3.2 per cent) and especially hinterland full container traffic (+2.4 per cent). Transhipment traffic also increased (+10 per cent).
The goods figures can be explained by the development of the shipping services offered by HAROPA (especially within the framework of shipowners’ alliances), by the increase in the number of feeder services, as well as by the rising strength of the multimodal modes. The logistics offer of the ports on the Seine corridor thus confirms its attractiveness, such as illustrated by the success of the tenders launched in Le Havre (PLPN3) and in Rouen (RVSL Amount).
Note: The continuous rise of the multimodal terminal in Le Havre which handled 32,000 teus from January to April 2019; this 12 per cent increase complements the 7 per cent growth already recorded in 2018.
Liquid bulk cargo: +7 per cent
Traffic is on the rise with 20.5 mt. Crude oil increased (+3.1 per cent) despite the accident on the pipeline connecting the refinery of Grandpuits. Refined products increased by 11.1 per cent, with traders resuming the imports of products.
Dry bulk cargo: +8 per cent
Good dry bulk figures (6 mt) are mainly due to grain which rose by 9.3 per cent with 3.8 mt. On April 30, grain tonnage exported from Rouen was a record 6.7 mt (for the current season), nearly the same tonnage as for the whole past season (6.9 mt). This exceptionally high rise was partly due to the competitiveness of the prices of French cereals and to the availability of high-quality wheat in the Rouen hinterland.
River traffic (as at the end of April)
Fostered by the development of container flows in Le Havre, by the volume of grain exports in Rouen and by the building sector in the Ile-de-France (Paris) area (*), river traffic—studied in comparison with the 2018 benchmark period impacted by the river flood—strongly increased by an overall 55 per cent (measured in tonnes handled in the Ile-de-France region). To and from the port of Le Havre, river traffic of sea containers with Rouen and the Ile-de-France region rose by 14.5 per cent (measured in TEUs).
(*) +70 per cent for Building and Civil Works river traffic in the Ile-de-France region (5 mt).
Seahorse Ship Agencies Pvt. Ltd represents HAROPA Ports for commercial and promotional activities in India.
