Marseille-Fos port cargo throughput up 2% in first half 2017

Box tonnage at France’s largest seaport for the first six months of the year rose 10 percent to 6.6 million metric tons and helped boost general cargo total 12 percent to 10.3 million metric tons, according to recent data from the port.    Cargo throughput at the Port of Marseille-Fos, France’s largest seaport, stood at 39.9 million metric tons in the first half of 2017, an increase of 2 percent from the same period a year ago, according to newly released data from the port.
   The increase, which came despite a dip in oil volumes, was driven by growth in all three general cargo sectors – containers, roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) and conventional traffic.
   Container traffic grew 7 percent overall – 10 percent at the port’s deepsea Fos terminals – to 667,865 TEUs, which included a historical monthly record of 119,700 TEUs in April.
   The increase helped box tonnage rise 10 percent over first half 2016 to 6.6 million metric tons and carried the general cargo total to 10.3 million metric tons, a 12 percent improvement. Ro-ro volumes were up 8 percent to 2.2 million metric tons, boosted by Corsica traffic – which rose 19 percent to 1.2 million metric tons – and 17 percent growth in import/export vehicle handling at 107,904 units.
   Conventional trades continued to benefit from soaring imports and exports of steel products, jumping 32 percent to 1.5 million metric tons, while dry bulks grew 4 percent year-over-year to 6.8 million metric tons. That total was fortified by ore imports for the steel industry, which edged up 1 percent to 4.6 million metric tons. Other bulks – notably scrap iron, lime and quartz – continued to shine with 34 percent growth for 2.1 million metric tons, but agro-bulks slumped 79 percent to 0.9 million metric tons, according to port data.
   Liquid liquid bulks also slipped 2 percent to 22.8 million metric tons due to mixed results for oil and gas volumes, which ended down 3 percent at a total of 21.2 million metric tons.
   Refinery conversion and maintenance shutdowns resulted in crude imports falling 13 percent from first half 2016 to 10.6 million metric tons. Against this, refined products gained 14 percent to 6.8 million metric tons, while LNG volumes were stable at 2.6 million metric tons and LPG rose 11 percent to 1.1 million metric tons.
   Liquid chemicals and agro-products improved 8 percent to 1.6 million metric tons, largely due to the resumption of soda exports from the country’s Kem One plant after a maintenance shutdown.