Marseilles Fos sets new record for container volumes

Despite total cargo volumes being down at the French port, container traffic increased by 7 percent.    Port of Marseilles Fos reported record container volumes in 2014, despite a 2 percent decrease in overall cargo from 2013.
   Total cargo throughput at the French port fell to 78.45 million tons, due primarily to continued decline in oil volumes stemming from the restructuring of Europe’s refinery industry, according to a statement from Marseilles Fos.
   Container volume in 2014 reached 1,174,000 TEUs, a 7 percent increase from the previous record of 1,097,740 TEUs set in 2013. 
   The port estimated 90 percent of cargo went through the two deepsea Fos 2XL terminals, where volumes rose 10 percent compared with a 5 percent decrease in Marseilles, which primarily handles shortsea throughput.
   Specific commodity volumes reported by the port:

• Steel cargo increased 6 percent year-over-year to 2.77 million tons.
• Roll on-roll off cargo decreased 5 percent to 3.7 million tons following industrial disputes at financially-troubled ferry operator SNCM.
• Dry bulks increased 2 percent to 13.45 million tons, driven by a 6 percent increase in imports of steel industry raw materials to 9.7 million tons.
• Agro-bulks were stable at 0.95 million tons, but other bulks fell 8 percent to 2.79 million tons.
• Liquid bulks increased 8 percent to 3.7 million tons, thanks largely to a 7 percent increase in petrochemicals to 3.63 million tons.
• Oil and gas volumes fell 5 percent to 43.56 million tons in a trend that has seen volumes down by more than 15 million tons since 2011.